current of the wind." These accounts are probably much exaggerated.

"The royal couriers in Persia wear a white sash girded from the shoulders to their waist many times around their bodies, by which means they are enabled to ride for many days without great fatigue.". Hanway.

The dreadful columns mov'd.-P. 193.

We were here at once surprised and terrified by a sight surely the most magnificent in the world. In that vast expanse of desert, from W. and to N. W. of us, we saw a number of prodigious pillars of sand at different distances, at times moving with great celerity, at others stalking with a majestic slowness at intervals, we thought they were coming in a very few moments to overwhelm us, and small quantities of sand did actually, more than once, reach us. Again they would retreat so as to be almost out of sight, their tops reaching to the very clouds. There the tops often separated from the bodies, and these once disjoined, dispersed in the air, and did not appear more. Sometimes they

were broken near the middle, as

if struck with a

large cannon shot. About noon, they began to advance with considerable swiftness upon us, the wind being very strong at north. Eleven of them ranged alongside of us about the distance of three miles. The greatest diameter of the largest ap

peared to me at that distance, as if it would measure ten feet. They retired from us with a wind at S. E. leaving an impression upon my mind to which I can give no name; though surely one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable deal of wonder and astonishment. It was in vain to think of flying, the swiftest horse, or fastest sailing ship, could be of no use to carry us out of this danger, and the full persuasion of this rivetted me as if to the spot where I stood.

On the 15th, the same appearance of moving pillars of sand presented themselves to us, only they seemed to be more in number, and less in size. They came several times in a direction close upon us; that is, I believe, within less than two miles. They began immediately after sun-rise, like a thick wood, and almost darkened the sun. rays shining through them for near an hour, gave them an appearance of pillars of fire. Our people now became desperate: the Greeks shrieked out, and said it was the day of judgment. Ismael pronounced it to be hell, and the Tucorories that the world was on fire.-Bruce.

His

THALABA THE DESTROYER.

THE FIFTH BOOK.

Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

WHEN Thalaba from adoration rose,
The air was cool, the sky

Psalm xviii. 39.

With welcome clouds o'ercast,

Which soon came down in rain.

He lifted up his fever'd face to heaven,

And bar'd his head, and stretch'd his hands
To that delightful shower,

And felt the coolness flow through every limb,
Freshening his powers of life.

A loud quick panting! Thalaba looks up,
He starts, and his instinctive hand

Grasps the knife hilt; for close beside
A Tyger passes him.

An indolent and langu d eye
The passing Tyger turn'd;
His head was hanging down,

His dry tongue lolling low,

And the short panting of his fever'd breath

Came through his hot parch'd nostrils painfully. The young Arabian knew

The purport of his hurried pace,

And following him in hope,

Saw joyful from afar

The Tyger stoop and drink.

The desert Pelican had built her nest

In that deep solitude.

And now, return'd from distant flight,
Fraught with the river-stream,

Her load of water had disburden'd there.

Her young in the refreshing bath
Sported, all wantonness;

Dipt down their callow heads,

Fill'd the swoln membrane from their plumeless

throat

Pendant, and bills yet soft;

And buoyant with arch'd breast,
Plied in unpractis'd stroke