taught to sing the anthem, by competent persons, in different districts of the town. More than 7000 copies of the music were distributed by the Committee, previous to the final gathering, besides near 90,000 copies of the anthem; also a great number of medals, and the words printed on a card with a portrait of Her Majesty annexed, were published, and purchased by the managers of schools to give to their children. Thus everything was done to render the proceedings worthy both of the schools and of the visit of Her Majesty.

A pulpit of wood, placed near the centre of the platforms, in an open space, was erected for Mr. Banks, who was to lead the singing of the vast assemblage. He was elevated so as to be seen by all. At an early hour on Friday, the 10th of October, 1851-a day long to be remembered the different schools, marshalled behind its standard-a small tablet on the top of a pole—were seen wending their way to Peel Park. The scholars appeared all happy and cheerful, and as the day was remarkably fine, it was a delightful sight. As the children reached the appointed spot, they were, through the able management of the conductors, to whom great praise is due, placed in the several stations. Such was the punctuality displayed, that between nine and ten o'clock, all the scholars were in their places, and Mr. Banks was enabled to try a combined rehearsal of the National Anthem, such as was a short time after to greet royal ears. This was done to the

satisfaction of the parties assembled. A little after eleven o'clock, the acclamations that thundered down the whole line of the main street leading to the Park created an immense sensation through the whole length of the platforms, and indicated that the royal passengers were near. The royal procession having reached the Pavilion in the Park, an Address from the Corporation of Salford was read, and a gracious answer was returned; then the hurrahs of the people announced that Her Majesty had left the Pavilion, and was approaching the lower end of the platforms. The drums were then beaten for silence; Mr. Banks, the leader of the singing, struck off "God save

our gracious Queen," and the 80,000 joined in the anthem. Her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the Royal Family, together with the Duke of Wellington, and other distinguished characters, drove up in open carriages between the galleries. Her Majesty was much affected at the sight. By the time the cortege had reached the centre of the galleries, the singing of the first stanza twice over was completed. It was intended to sing the whole; but now the enthusiasm of the juvenile band burst forth in one tremendous shout, and hats and handkerchiefs waved to and fro, the whole scene becoming indescribably grand and imposing. It was like the voice of many waters. The Queen, smiling, bowed over and over again, to the intense delight of the mighty mass of assembled youth, and passed Thus ended one of the greatest exhibitions of either ancient or modern times. Her Majesty had greater reason to be proud of such a host of Sunday-school scholars, than if her army had been increased by the same number of soldiers; and the old duke must have felt that the throne of his sovereign was secure, and would be, though he might be removed, as in one district alone, so many thousands who would form the next generation, loved and cheered the Queen so enthusiastically.

on.

"We regard (said an American orator) a general system of education as a wise and liberal system of policy, by which property, and life, and the peace of society are secured. We seek to prevent in some measure the extension of the penal code, in giving sound and scriptural knowledge at an early age, and we hope for security above the law, and beyond the law, in the prevalence of enlightened and well disciplined moral sentiment."

But, my young friends, a greater event than the one narrated above will transpire shortly. Jesus Christ, King of kings, and Lord of Lords, is about to come. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." Rev. i. 7. He will not be attended by a few soldiers, but with his mighty angels, nor come in a chariot, but in the clouds, nor shall merely some

few hundreds of thousands see him, but every eye shall see. Some could scarcely get a glimpse of Queen Victoria, but every eye shall see Jesus. The precise time of Her Majesty's coming was announced several weeks before-hand; but Christ shall come as a thief in the night. Neither did Her Majesty's coming materially alter the circumstances of the beholders; but Christ will come,

"To raise to glory all

Who fit for glory are,"

and to appoint the sinner his portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. Many who will read these lines made great preparations to meet the Queen, and will you make none to meet the Judge of all the earth? If not, your conduct in this matter will rise up in judgment against you. Her Majesty knew but few of the thousands that greeted her; Jesus will know all, and the past history of every one.

Soon the trumpet will sound, and the judgment be set, and the books be opened, and the dead will be judged out of those things which are written in the books. Again, I say, prepare. Even Her Majesty herself will have to appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, and nothing but an interest in his blood will avail for either kings or queens, peer or peasant, teacher or scholar. Again, I say, prepare; for,

"He comes! he comes! the Judge severe;
The seventh trumpet speaks him near."

OLD WINSFORD.

STORIES OF EAGLES.

I SAW an eagle to-day passing southwards, apparently on his way from the mountains of Sutherland or Caithness, to the more southern heights of the Grampians. The bird was flying very near the ground, making his way against the wind, and pursued by a whole squadron of grey crows, who had found out that he was a stranger, and taking advantage of the unconcerned contempt with which he treated their attacks, kept up a continual clamour and petty warfare

against the royal bird. The eagle, as he came over the more enclosed part of the country, flew higher, as if suspicious of concealed foes amongst the hedges and enclosures. I have almost every year during my stay in Morayshire seen the eagles occasionally passing, at the beginning of winter invariably going southwards, and again early in the spring on their return northwards; in windy weather flying low, but when calm, cleaving the air at a great height. The eagle's flight, when passing from one point to another, is peculiarly expressive of strength and vigour. He wends his way with deliberate, strong strokes of his powerful wing, every stroke apparently driving him on a considerable distance, and in this manner advancing through the air as rapidly as the pigeon or any other bird which may appear to fly much more quickly.

Notwithstanding the facility with which he flies when once fairly launched, like many other heavy birds, a very slight wound disables him from rising into the air when on level ground. Even after having gorged himself to excess (and there is no greater glutton than this king of the air) the eagle is unable to rise, and falls a victim occasionally to his want of moderation in feeding. When in Sutherlandshire I twice fell in with instances of eagles being knocked down, when unable to rise from over-eating. On one occasion a curious kind of character, who acted the part of hanger-on to me in my deer-shooting excursions, brought home an eagle which he had killed with his stick before it could rise from the ground. This man, who was dumb, and was supposed (very erroneously) to be half-witted also, had a great penchant for assisting in beating the woods for roe or deer; and from long acquaintance with the country, and from a propensity (very common to people similarly afflicted) for wandering about, he had a perfect knowledge of every corner of the extensive woods on the property, and also a most shrewd guess as to where the deer would be lying, and in which direction they would break cover. Though generally of a most morose and even malicious temper, Muckle Thomas, as they called him, entertained a great affection, in his way, for me; and every morning was to be found seated in front of the

windows, smoking a solitary pipe, and waiting to see if I wanted him. Though dumb, he was not deaf, and understanding what was said to him, could make himself quite intelligible by signs, assisting my comprehension by drawing, in a rude way, figures on the ground with the long staff which he invariably carried. One morning I had sent him to look in a certain part of the woods to see if any deer's tracks were visible. In an hour or two he returned with something large bundled up in his plaid, which he opened, and cast down his load at my feet with a look and grunt of triumph. After some explanatory signs, &c., I found out that he had come on the eagle, who had so completely gorged himself with a rotten sheep in the wood that it could not rise.

Another instance occurred in the same country. A shepherd's boy found an eagle gorging itself on some drowned sheep in a water-course, and being, like most herd-boys, as skilful as David in the use of sling and stone, he had broken the eagle's pinion with a pebble, and had actually stoned the poor bird to death. In this case the eagle was taken at peculiar disadvantage, being surprised in a deep rocky burn, out of which he would have had difficulty in rising quickly, even if he had not dined so abundantly. When wounded by shot or even after escaping (but maimed) from a trap, the eagle is often unable to rise. A curious anecdote was told me by a friend. An eagle had been caught in a vermin trap, and, by his struggles, had drawn the peg by which the trap was fastened to the ground, and had flown away with it. Nothing was seen for some weeks of eagle or trap, till one day my friend seeing some strange object hanging from the branch of a tree, went to examine what it was, and found the poor bird hanging by his leg, which was firmly held by the trap. The chain and peg had got fixed amongst the branches, and the poor eagle had died miserably from starvation in this position, suspended by the foot. Though certainly the eagles in some localities commit great havoc amongst the lambs, and also destroy the grouse when no larger game offers itself, it would be a great pity that this noble bird should become extinct in our Highland districts,