eight feet deep between four limestone slabs, seated with the knees brought close to the body, which is erect; the hands clasped, and laid upon the stomach; the head upright. She was muffled up and covered with a number of garments made of a species of wild-hemp and the bark of a willow which formerly grew in Kentucky. The cloth is of a curious texture and fabric, made up in the form of blankets or winding-sheets, with very handsome borders. Bags of different sizes were found by her side, made of the same cloth, in which were deposited her jewels, beads, trinkets, and implements of industry: all which are very great curiosities, being different from anything of the Indian kind ever found in this country.

'Among the articles was a musical instrument, made of two pieces of cane, put together something like the double flageolet, and curiously interwoven with elegant feathers: she had likewise by her side a bowl of uncommon workmanship, and a Vandyke made of feathers, very beautiful. These trinkets and garments, exhumed with the mummy, though curious, do not throw much light on the subject of the former inhabitants of the great cave which has been described. If not of an Indian fashion, as Mr Ward avers, neither do they indicate the woman, to have belonged to a highly-civilised community. Probably the skull of the mummy, which is still in Mr Ward's possession, might point out, by its shape, the woman's race.

Much light, however, yet remains to be thrown on North American antiquities, and there is no spot, we think, more likely to assist in this, on further examination, than the Mammoth Cave.

EARLY LIFE OF A COTTAGER'S CHILD.

IN the Edinburgh Magazine for 1821-2, there appeared a series of articles, entitled 'A True and Authentic History of Ill Tam,' understood to be the real autobiography of an eccentric clergyman of the Church of Scotland, who rose to the dignity of a professor in one of our provincial universities. As the author and subject of the articles was the son of a widow - cottager in a remote and primitive part of Scotland, his narrative contains what we are disposed to think a very faithful and interesting picture of life in that lowly but respectable condition; while of its vivacity and drollery in many parts, there can, we believe, be no doubt. For these reasons, and because the articles, in their original form, are in few hands, we propose to revive a few passages under the above new title, which seems appropriate to the object we have in viewthat of conveying a picture of the rise and progress of the child of a Scottish cottager.

"From the earliest period of my recollection, I was known by the designation of Ill Tam, by which, as it may be supposed, I was given to the practice of every species of waggish mischief. I can still distinctly recollect that, instead of being dissatisfied with my title, I was not a little proud of it; and I verily believe that my conduct then, and long afterwards, was considerably modified by my desire to act in consistency with the honourable appellation conferred upon me-namely, to be a worker of all manner of waggery, a contriver of all manner of plot, and a deviser, no matter at what expense, of all variety of fun. I was born and brought up amidst the solitude and the sublimity of mountain scenery. The clear stream ran past my feet at the cottage-door; the birds sang clearly and melodiously from an adjoining bank of wood; and the distant hill-side was covered over with flocks of white and nibbling sheep; but my earliest

impressions, notwithstanding all these external attractions, were connected with the home-department; with that fireside around, and upon which, were nightly assembled, among other more rational inmates, the dog, the cat, and myself.

My talent for mischief was originally called into action by the instincts of these animals; for whilst they stood opposite to each other, the one in the attitude of attack, and the other in that of resistance; whilst he looked to me for encouragement, and she sputtered out her defiance and contempt for us both, it was impossible not to take an interest in what was going on; and, to my shame be it spoken, I always sided with Rover against poor Puss.

Among the most early impressions which I can now recall, are those of devotion. My mother, from the first twelve months of my existence my sole surviving parent, was indeed a Christian, in the original and best sense of the term. Her object seemed all along to be, to convey instruction, and induce habit, not so much by any direct advice, as by example. Instead of putting words into my mouth, at an early age, when I was totally incapable of comprehending their meaning, she taught me, by her own conduct, to reverence, and to worship, in heart, and in all sincerity, the great unseen source of safety and support, upon which all alike, old and young, weak and powerful, ultimately depend.

'Ere I was five years of age, by the assistance of two excellent old women, aunts of my mother, was enabled to read, or rather to sing-for my style of modulation was somewhat betwixt the two-the fifth chapter of St Matthew's Gospel, and even to convert this premature acquisition into a source of emolument and vanity. The cottage where I lived stood upon the side of a retired road, by which some of the most respectable farmers were accustomed to pass every Sabbath to church; and it was my weekly practice to take my station upon a green bank, in front of our dwelling, and there, from an old brass-clasped Bible, in a most audible and arresting tone, to pour forth upon the Sabbath passengers the whole

detail of the Beatitudes. "That's really a surprising elf," one would observe, tossing me at the same time a halfpenny; whilst another would prophesy of my future eminence and attainments. I thus acquired a purse against the ensuing village fair, and was led to account myself a prodigy of learning. Prayers were said, or, in the more expressive language of the peasantry, the book was taken, every evening and morning in our little family household, consisting of two old women, my mother, and myself, and the privilege of reading "the chapter" devolved on me; an office of which I was not a little proud, and for the discharge of which, however, I was but moderately qualified. I still remember reading hanged for changed; thief-priest for chief-priest; and Galloway (the name of the neighbouring county) for Galilee.

"To this chapter regularly succeeded a family prayer, in which, without the smallest reference even in aim, much less in effect, to correctness, or propriety of expression, there occurred not only thoughts that breathed, but words that conveyed their breathings from heart to heart. Notwithstanding all my reverence, however, and respect for the exercise, in which we were so regularly engaged, my love of fun or of mischief often preponderated over every higher and more hallowed consideration. I remember once of pushing a live coal towards the shoeless soles of the person actually engaged in prayer, and of enjoying the jest amazingly, when the sudden rising took place, and even the cat and the dog awoke into fearful aspect and consternation! Whenever, according to the only index of the escape of time of which I was possessed-the drying, namely, of my wet stockings from the crook-the prayer seemed to have extended beyond a reasonable length, I had always a variety of shifts of this description at command whereby to accelerate the conclusion.

'In the absence of company better suited to my years, I was compelled to convert those aged persons, my aunts, as I was accustomed to call them, who tenanted the other end of the house, into a source of amusement, in order to pass away agreeably the long forenights of winter.

Children are very quick-sighted in the discovery of the weaknesses of those with whom they daily associate; and it was from the superstitious apprehensions of these most kindly and religious inmates, that I contrived occasionally to extract entertainment. They were genuine specimens of the old world: they rose early-always, during winter, long before daylight; they breakfasted by eight; and after spending the day in spinning upon the "wee wheel," or in providing fuel from an adjoining copsewood, they regularly hung on the supper-potatoes at eight in the evening, when family-exercise was made; and by nine they were again snugly lodged beneath the blankets. The fire was placed at some distance from the gable-wall, and the "crook," which of course behoved to be suspended directly over it, was attached in an upper and an undiscovered region of everlasting smoke, to a cross-beam, or rannel-tree, one end of which was inserted in the gable, and the other extended over a joist at a convenient distance. Under these circumstances, it was no very difficult matter to attach one end of a string, amidst the higher altitudes of smoke and obscurity, to the crook, and by passing it over a cross-beam above, to bring it down within my pull, where I sat at my evening mechanical or literary recreations.

'Previously to the suspension of my aunts' supperpotatoes, fresh fuel was added to the fire, in such a situation as to act most effectually upon the pot-in other words, directly below it. But no sooner had the flame begun to ascend, than the mistake became visible. It was evident that the partner on whom had devolved the task of making the adjustment, had misplaced the fire. The pot hung suspended over cold air and empty space, whilst the fuel was wastefully and idly consumed. A change was immediately, amidst mutual recrimination and reproach, effected on the position of the fire; but scarcely had this been done, when the pot was observed to return to its natural position, as if actuated by a spirit of contradiction, and by a determined resolution against boiling that evening. This could not fail to excite