Mr. Salt says, to give an idea of the dependance of the chiefs of the Ras, in Abyssinia, it is necessary to observe that some of those who were clothed most richly, and were followed by the most numerous suites, held the offices of chief butler, chief cupbearer, &c. The splendid suite and attire of the king's cook, the master of the band,—the golden horn-blower, and others are in a similar manner alluded to by Mr. Bowdich, as most striking on their entrée into Coomassie, the capital of the recently visited kingdom of Ashantee.-Bowdich's Essay, p. 19. DIVINATION. It would far exceed our limits to enter fully upon so extensive a subject as that included under the term Divination. Suffice it to say, that the Jews at all periods of their history resorted to every mode adopted by their idolatrous neighbours of penetrating into futurity. With respect to the first of these alluded to in Genesis xliv. 5, we know that one of the most celebrated monarchs of the Persians-the great Giamschid, together with Alexander and others, referred to prophetic cups, and Pliny alludes to a similar practice in his time. That wands and staffs were used for similar purposes is also known to us on the authority of Strabo, who speaks of the rods held by the Magi during their religious ceremonies. Gen. xliv. 5.-" Is this the cup whereby he divineth?" Ezekiel xxi. 21.—" For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver." Hosea iv. 12.-" My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them." Tacitus (de moribus Germanorum, ch. x.) thus explains their mode of divination by twigs or wands.-The branch of a fruit tree is cut into small pieces, which being all distinctly marked, are thrown at random on a white garment. With frequent prayers the priest raising his eyes to heaven three times, holds up each segment of the twig, and as the marks rise in succession, interprets the decrees of fate. The method taken by the Noaaids, or Lapland priests, to recover stolen goods is this. He comes into the tent where he has reason to suspect the thief is to be found, and pouring a quantity of brandy into a dish, which then reflects the features of any person looking into it, he makes a number of grimaces over it, and appears to consider it with very great attention. After some length of time employed in this way, he takes the suspected Laplander aside, charges him with the fact, declares that he saw his face plainly figured to him in the dish, and threatens to let loose a swarm of ganic-flies upon him, who shall torment him until he makes restitution.-Acerbis's Travels, Vol. II. p. 312. The king, who was one of our company, this day, at dinner I observed, took particular notice of the plates; this occasioned me to make him an offer of one, either of pewter or of earthenware. He chose the first, and then began to tell us the several uses to which he intended to apply it. Two of them were so extraordinary, that I cannot omit mentioning them. He said, that whenever he should have occasion to visit any of the other islands, he would leave this plate behind him, at Tongataboo, as a sort of representative in his absence, that the people might pay it the same obeisance they do to himself in person. He was asked, what had been usually employed for this purpose, before he got this plate? and we had the satisfaction of learning from him that this singular honour had been hitherto conferred on a wooden bowl, in which he washed his hands. The other extraordinary use to which he intended to apply it, in the room of his wooden bowl, was, to discover a thief; he said that when anything was stolen and the thief could not be found out, the people were all assembled together before him, when he washed his hands in water in this vessel, after which it was cleaned, and then the whole multitude advanced, one after another, and touched it in the same manner as they touch his foot, when they pay him obeisance. If the guilty person touched it, he died immediately upon the spot, not by violence but by the hand of Providence; and if any one refused to touch it, his refusal was a clear proof that he was the man.—Cook's Third Voyage, Book II. c. 8. In the temple Kurumado, in a corner to the left, within a large wooden grate, we took notice of a sexangular lanthorn covered with black gauze, which could be turned round like a wheel, and is said to be of great service in discovering unknown and future things. We were told likewise that a large book of their gods and religion lay in the same lanthorn, of the contents whereof they would, or could, give us no particulars, and only would make us believe that it was a very strange and miraculous thing.-Kampher's Japan, Vol. II. p. 600. The conjuror fills a pewter basin or a brass pan, full of water, then sets up a stick on each side; from the tops of the sticks he stretches a small cord, and from the centre of that cord suspends a grain of pepper by a thread, just to touch, but not in the water; he then dips his fingers in the water and flirts them in the culprit's face; if he is guilty, a white film immediately covers his eyes, which deprives him, of sight, and causes most excruciating pain, but if he is innocent, it has no effect. After the guilty person has made his confession, the conjuror dips his.—History of Sierra Leone. Before the Sumatrans go to war, they kill a buffalo, or a fowl that is perfectly white, and by observing the motion of the intestines, they judge of the good or ill-fortune that will attend them. The priest who performs this ceremony, had need to be infallible, for if he predicts contrary to the event, he is sometimes put to death for his want of skill.—Marsden's Sumatra, p. 310. In the Rudhiradhyaya, or sanguinary chapter, translated from the Calica Puran, there are a variety of curious omens explained according to the direction in which the head of a human victim, buffalo, &c. falls when severed from the body.-Asiatic Researches, Vol. V. The Scythians have amongst them a great number who practise the art of divination; for this purpose they use a number of willow twigs in this manner : They bring large bundles of these together, and having united them, dispose them one by one on the ground, each bundle at a distance from the rest. This done, they pretend to foretel the future, during which they take up the bundles separately, and tie them again together. They take also the leaves of the limetree, which dividing into three parts, they twine round their fingers; they then unbind it, and exercise the art to which they pretend.-Herodotus Book IV. The inhabitants of the Pelew Islands entertained so strong an idea of divination, that whenever any matter of moment was going to be undertaken, they conceived they could, by splitting the leaves of a particular plant, that was not unlike our bulrush, and measuring the strips of this long narrow leaf on the back of their middle finger, form a judgment whether it would or would not turn out prosperous. It was noticed by several of our people that the king recurred to this supposed oracle on different occasions, particularly at the time they went on the second expedition against Artingall, when he appeared to be very unwilling to go aboard his canoe, and kept all his attendants waiting till he had tumbled and twisted his leaves into a form that satisfied his mind, and predicted success. Our people never observed any person but the king apply to this divination.-Wilson's Pelew Islands. The Afghauns (see p. 66, this book) pry into futurity by astrological and geomantic calculations, and by all sorts of divination and sortilege. Amongst other modes, they form presages from drawing lots, from the position assumed by arrows poured carelessly out of a quiver. I remember a conversation which I had (immediately before Shauh Shooja's great struggle with his competitor in 1809) with one of that prince's Persian ministers, who told me that he had now good reason to rely with certainty on his master's success. I listened with attention, expecting to hear of a correspondence with some of the great lords of the other party, and I was a good deal surprised to find the minister's confidence arose entirely from the result of some augury from the position of arrows.-Elphinstone's Account of Caubul, p. 223. Mr. John Rawlins, when a prisoner on board a Turkish vessel, thus describes a singular mode of divination by arrows. Upon the sight of two great ships, feared to be two Spanish men-of-war, a deep silence is commanded in the ship; after that all the company gives a great shriek; sometimes the sails are all taken in, and perhaps presently after hoisted out again, as the conjuror presages. There are also a cutlass and two arrows laid on a cushion, one for the Turks the other for the Christians, and a curtlaxe; then this wise man reads, and some one or other takes the two arrows in his hand by their heads; if the arrow for the Christian comes over the head of the arrow for the Turks, it foretels they will be taken; if the arrow for the Turks comes over the head of that for the Christians, they think themselves sure of success. The curtlaxe is taken up by a child or some person that is a stranger to the matter, and it is much minded if it lie on the same side or no. They observe lunatics too; for the conjuror writes down their sayings in a book, groveling upon the ground as if he whispered to the devil.-Harris's Voyages, p. 371. MONTHLY REGISTER. SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. THE first Anniversary Meeting of the District Committee of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, established at Cranbrook, was held in the Vestry-room of Cranbrook Church, on Friday, 30th July, immediately after Divine Service. T. L. Hodges, Esq. M. P. president, in the chair. The following Report was read by the Rev. A. Hussey, the Secretary. "At this early period of its existence, it will not be expected of the Cranbrook District Committee, that its Report should exhibit operations on a very extended scale; it will, however, appear, that it has not been altogether inactive. "When the Committee was established, it was resolved, that a depository of books should be formed at Cranbrook, for the convenience of the District; in pursuance of which resolution, at the first quarterly meeting in October last, a selection was made from the Society's catalogue, and a supply requested, consisting of Bibles and Common-Prayers of different sizes, with a few other books; it not being considered advisable to make a large VOL. XII. NO. IX. collection till the Committee had ascertained, by experience, what works were most generally used in the District. It was likewise proposed at the same meeting, to procure a number of the Society's Bibles, and all the Common-Prayers, lettered and priced, to be retained in the depôt as specimens; which plan was adopted, for the purpose of enabling members, when wishing to obtain books, to decide by personal inspection on the most convenient size. The state of their funds requiring economy, some only of the Bibles were chosen, but others may at any time be added, should it be deemed expedient. "The Committee has likewise received applications from members in the District for books not in the depository, which it immediately procured; and in the course of the year has been the medium of dispersing— Bibles ... 16 24 50 .... 720 8107 Common Prayers and Psalters. Total ...... 4 G "The Cash Account of the Committee does not, at first sight, wear a very encouraging aspect, as there appears a balance due to the Treasurer of 5l. 8s. 8d.; which balance, however, arises solely from the circumstance, that the supplies obtained from the Parent Society have been paid for, while some of the accounts with the members in the district still remained outstanding. The sum of 10%. 10s. 6d. is now due for books sent out from the depository, and the value of the books therein yet unsold (exclusive of specimens) is 47. 4s. 9d.-total 147. 15s. 3d., leaving, in fact, a balance in favour of the Committee, of 91. 6s. 6d. "The resources of the Committee are as yet but small, the annual subscribers hitherto declared being few; and although the donations bestowed at the establishment of the Committee have well enabled it to meet the expenses thus far incurred, its present means are totally inadequate to a continuance of even the exertions already made, much less to an augmentation of them. The Committee, however, feel persuaded, that its supporters will increase as its existence becomes more generally known, and its usefulness felt; and that the liberality of its friends will qualify it to extend its operations as far as the wants of the district shall require. "In conclusion, the Committee hope, that the warmth of its zeal will not be measured by the amount of its proceedings thus far; but that those proceedings will be regarded as an earnest of the efforts it will make in whatever field shall be opened for its future exertions. The objects of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and all its affiliated branches being, not to extend a vague and indefinite acquaintance with the scheme of redemption through Christ, leaving men to apply that knowledge to themselves in whatsoever manner they think proper; but to strengthen and enlarge the boundaries of that fold, which, on the joint testimony of Scripture and antiquity, it believes to be the one true fold, established by the holy Apostles, under the express authority of their Divine Master; the approbation and blessing of the Almighty on its labours may with full confidence be looked for ; that blessing which has raised it (with all humility be the comparison used) . from its first springing up as a mustard seed to its present goodly proportions, when its boughs reach to the East, and its branches to the West. The Committee, therefore, are convinced, that the very interest of the subject, without farther endeavours on its part, will suffice to recommend it to the consideration of members of the Church of England. And in inviting the attention and support of the public to itself, it does so with the view, not only of the good it may accomplish in the district, but also of promoting the welfare of the Society at large, and thus assisting its munificent, well-directed, and widely-extended plans of benevolence." The confidence expressed in the Report on the increase of the support the Committee had already experienced, was fully justified; as, in addition to a handsome contribution at the Church doors, after a Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Nares, Rector of Biddenden, the number of Annual Subscribers was more than doubled before the termination of the Anniversary Meeting. The Rev. Julius Deeds, Rev. D. W. Davies, Francis Law, Esq. and Thomas Monypenny, Esq. were elected Vicepresidents. The Treasurer and Secretary were re-elected, and the Rev. W. Temple and R. J. Monypenny, Esq., were chosen Auditors for the ensuing year. Report of the Canterbury Diocesan THE Report of a Diocesan Committee, ministering to a Society whose operations are in foreign countries, is necessarily barren of local topics. In this respect, the immediate details are simply those of collection and remittance. The receipts, it is observed with regret, have lately somewhat decreased. One splendid act of munificence from an individual, to whose bounties many other pious and charitable institutions are deeply indebted, has, indeed, in a pecuniary point of view, placed the county of Kent high in the scale of contributions to the Society. The name of Tillard stands conspicuous in the grateful records of other societies, and must not be forgotten on the present occasion. His liberal bequest of 30,000l., or 27,000l. exclusive of the legacy duty, afforded a most important and seasonable relief to the reduced funds and heavily pressed resources of the Institution. But this casual and pecuniary aid from an individual, does not necessarily indicate, what is much more important, the lively and zealous interest of the Christian community at large, in the great and gracious work of diffusing far and wide the inestimable knowledge and holy influence of the gospel of Christ Jesus. The Committee are anxious for general cooperation. They perceive that, in various parts of the kingdom, attention has been roused; and that this ancient, venerable, and most useful Society has, of late years, received very cheering marks of awakened interest in its designs, and very considerable addition to its subscriptions. They trust, there fore, that what has been effected elsewhere, is practicable here; that the more the Society is known, the more its usefulness will be felt, the more its designs will be supported. The total amount of subscriptions received by the Committee in the year ending December 31, 1829, was 1271. 4s. 6d.; of this sum, 112. was remitted to the Parent Society after the annual meeting in June last. The balance, 157. 4s. 6d., consisting of subscriptions received after the above remittance was made, remains in the banker's hands, and will now be remitted with the subscriptions received for the current year, and the collection that may be made upon the present occasion. The total amount of remittances made to the Parent Society by the Committee since its formation in the latter part of the year 1824, up to December 31, 1829, is 8697. 1s. 7 d. DOMESTIC.-The election of Members to serve in the new Parliament is the only political occurrence, of a domestic nature, which calls for our present notice. The contests have been numerous and severe; yet conducted with less interruption of the public tranquillity than we recollect upon any former occasion. The number of new Members returned is also unusually great; and a very large proportion of these, from their connexions, may be presumed to be opposed to the present Administration. We have only heard of the return of six Roman Catholics; four in Ireland, and two in Great Britain. FRANCE.-Events of the most momentous importance have passed in this country. We noticed, in our last report, the probability that the result of the elections to the new Chamber of Deputies would be hostile to the measures of the court. The Administration of France was sure of this, but so attached to their plans of government that they determined to hazard the most arbitrary and desperate attempts, rather than relinquish them. By royal order, the liberty of the press was abolished, the public journals suppressed, and the printing materials seized, with the exception of the Moniteur, the official Government paper, and two others, the Quotidienne and Drapeau Blanc, both organs of the ultra-royalist party; the Chamber of Deputies was dissolved before it had met, and a new one called, in which the number of Deputies was reduced to two hundred and fifty-eight, and the Colleges of the Arrondissemens were deprived of their right of suffrage. This open and violent invasion of the rights of the people, secured to them by the Charter which restored the Bourbons to the throne of their ancestors, immediately excited the most active opposition of all orders of men, those only excepted which were under the influence of the Jesuits,-a power behind the throne, and superior to it, that led to the ruin of it on the present occasion. The military were |