Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 001.djvu/240

240 the soil, I procured from my friend a quantity of the mould, taken fresh from under the sand, and carefully avoiding any mixture of the latter. This was instantly put into a jar, which was stopped up close, by means of a piece of bladder tied tightly over its mouth. Having prepared a couple of flower-pot flats, by drilling small holes in the bottom of them, so as to admit of the ascent of water, I filled the flats with some of the mould, and placing them in a very wide and shallow tub made on purpose, I covered each of them with a large glass receiver. Each receiver, however, was provided with a brass rim, having little brass knobs on it, so as to raise its edge from the bottom of the tub, and leave a small opening for the admission of air. The whole apparatus was placed in my library, of which the door and windows were kept constantly shut.

This was done on the 17th of February last. It is now the 6th of May; and, on examining the flats, I rind about forty-six plants in them, apparently of four different kinds; but, as they are yet very young, I cannot determine their species with any degree of accuracy. The final result of the experiment I shall not fail to communicate to you."

has lately read to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a letter from Miss Mitchell, giving an account of the conduct of her brother, the blind and deaf boy, some time ago, when in imminent danger of being drowned.

There is a point of land leading from Nairn (the town where he lives), along the side and to the mouth of the river, and which, with high tides, is overflowed by the sea, where there are boats frequently left fastened to something for the purpose. He had been in the habit, it seems, of going down to these boats; and had that day gone down and stepped into one of them as usual. Before he was aware, however, he was afloat, and completely surrounded with water. Had he remained quietly there until the tide ebbed, he probably would not have been in any danger; but instead of that, upon perceiving his situation, he undressed himself, and plunged into the sea; seemingly with the intention of attempting to drag the boat with his clothes to land. Finding that, however impracticable, he next attempted returning to the boat, but failed in getting into it, and with his struggling upset it; and there is not a doubt but he must have perished, had not some salmon-fishers been most providentially employed within sight of him, and rowed to his assistance. By the time they reached him, he was nearly exhausted by his exertions; and having been repeatedly completely under water, was so benumbed with cold, that they were obliged to strip themselves of what clothes they could spare, and put on him—his own being quite wet from the upsetting of the boat. They then very humanely brought him home, carrying him great part of the way, until he recovered strength and warmth sufficient to enable him to walk. "It is curious enough," says his intelligent sister, "to observe the sagacity displayed in some of his actions. His shoes were found with a stocking and garter stuffed into each of them, and his tobacco-pipe in his coat-pocket, rolled up in his neckcloth. The shoes (having got them on new that morning) were the only articles he discovered any anxiety to recover, and these he seemed much delighted with when restored to him, they having been found when the tide ebbed. His first action, when I met him upon being brought home, was to pull off a worsted night-cap, and give it to me, with rather an odd expression of countenance. The men had been obliged to put it on him, his hat having shared the fate of his clothes in the boat; and he certainly made a most grotesque appearance altogether, which he seemed to be in some degree aware of, as, after getting on a dry suit of his own clothes, he frequently burst out a-laughing during the evening; although, upon the whole, he appeared graver, and more thoughtful than usual. He has not suffered any injury from this accident, which had so nearly proved fatal to him." His family are in hopes that he has got a fright that will prevent his returning to the same amusement again, although they have not yet recovered their former confidence in his safety when absent from them.