THE LONDON AND PARIS LADIES' MAGAZINE FOR JULY, 1855. Senious dowager to a votary of fortune who still continued AN ADVENTURE WITH LIONS IN INDIA. 55 On the evening of the 14th of March two large lions were shot in the immediate vicinity of the cantonments at Deesa. At about four o'clock in the afternoon, some natives brought intelligence that two strange animals had been seen near Old Deesa, and that none of the people knew what kind of quadrupeds they were. They were, however, declared to be neither cheetahs nor tigers. Captain Wyville, of her Majesty's 83rd Regiment—a dead shot-immediately started in pursuit, accompanied by three or four natives. It is probable by three or four natives. On reaching the place pointed out, the captain found, to his astonishment, a full-grown lion and lioness. He, however, lost not a moment, but, taking a cool and deliberate aim, lodged a leaden pill in the carcase of the "monarch of the forest," which brought him at once to the ground stone-dead. The lady, not being accustomed to such scenes, immediately dashed off, with her new acquaintance, Captain Wyville, in full pursuit. On rounding a point, in hopes of turning her flank, our gallant Nimrod found himself at once almost on the top of the infuriated beast. He had only time to jump from his horse before she was over his back, and had fastened upon one of the beaters. The poor fellow's peril now became imminent; but his two companions, with courageous hearts, came up to his rescue, and attacked the brute with their swords. The spectacle now became awful, and inevitable death would have overtaken one or more of the brave beaters had not Captain Wyville raised his rifle and shot the lioness through the head. The skill and dexterity of the shot was enhanced by the fact that the deviation of a hair's breadth from the true aim would most likely have carried the ball to the heart of one of his undaunted companions. Captain Wyville, however, seems to possess the eye of an eagle and nerves of iron. For courage and coolness the adventure has never been surpassed, and rarely, if ever, equalled. One of the beaters has sustained considerable damage, the points of three of his fingers having been accidentally struck off by the sword of one of his companions: he is doing well, and is being carefully attended to. The animals. were brought into camp and skinned. Captain Wyville, with a generosity corresponding with his bravery, ordered the sum of 100 rupees to be distributed among the brave fellows who accompanied him in his expedition. He carried starvation in his cheeks; ghastliness and misery overspread his features, and despair stared in his glazed and sunken eye. He did not long survive his calamities. The conclusion of his story may be briefly told. For a little while he continued to walk through the streets of Constantinople in search of nourishment, and haunted its cemeteries like the dogs to which Christians are compared. He had neither food, roof, nor raiment. At length he took the desperate resolution of relapsing into Christianity; for he indulged in the hope, that if he could return to his former faith, and effect his escape from Constantinople, although he could not appear in these countries again, yet, on the Continent, he might obtain at the least the means of life from the friends who, although they could not forgive his errors, might take compassion upon his distress. He accordingly endeavoured to fly from Constantinople, and induced some Englishmen who happened to be there, to furnish money enough to effect his escape. But the plot was discovered. He was pursued, and taken at a small distance from Constantinople; his head was struck off upon the beach of the Bosphorus, and his body thrown into the sea. The name of this unfortunate person was Northcote. Sketches, Legal and Political. A LAWYER belonging, as he said, to the profession which had the reputation of being fond of "fees," offered the following toast at a dinner party : "Fee simple, and a simple fee, and all the fees in tail, Are nothing when compared to thee, thou best of fees-Female." CHINESE WOMEN. THE abject condition in which women are held in China is well known. Polygamy and opium are the two grand curses of the empire. Polygamy, which is allowable by law, aggravates the sufferings of the married woman. When she is no longer young, when she has no children, or none of the male sex, her husband takes a second wife, of whom she becomes in some measure the servant. The household is then the seat of continual war, full of jealousies, animosities, quarrels, and not unfrequently of battles. When they are alone, they have at least the liberty of weeping in secret over the cureless sorrows of their destiny. The state of perpetual humiliation and wretchedness to which the women of China are reduced, does sometimes drive them to frightful extremities; and the judicial annals are full of the most tragical events arising from this cause. The number of women who hang themselves, or commit suicide in various ways, is very considerable. When this catastrophe occurs in a family, the husband shows usually a great deal of emotion, for, in fact, he has suffered a considerable loss, and will be under the necessity of buying another wife. In some cases, pecuniary interest is the only motive capable of restraining within some limits the harshness of the Chinese towards their wives. When they do treat them with gentleness and moderation, it is usually on a principle of economy, as you might spare a beast of burden because it costs you money, and because, if you killed it, you would have to replace it. This hideous calculation is by no means a mere supposition of ours. In a large village to the north of Pekin, we were once witnesses of a violent quarrel between a husband and wife. After having for a long time abused each other in the most furious manner, and even hurled at each other some tolerably inoffensive projectiles, their anger still increasing, they began to break everything in the house. Several of the neighbours tried in vain to restrain them, and at length the husband, seizing a great paving-stone from the courtyard, rushed furiously into the kitchen, where the wife was expending her wrath upon the crockery, and strewing the floor with the ruins. When the husband rushed in with the pavingstone, everybody rushed forward to prevent a calamity that seemed imminent-there was no time-but the fellow dashed his paving-stone, not against his wife, fortunately, but against his great cast-iron kettle, which he stove in with the blow. The wife could not out-do this piece of extravagance, and so the quarrel ceased. A man who was standing by, then said, laughing, to the husband: "You are a fool, my elder brother; why didn't you break your wife's head with the stone, instead of your kettle? Then you would have had peace in "I house." thought of that," replied the kind husband coolly; "but it would have been foolish. I can get my kettle mended for two hundred sapecks, and it would have cost me a great deal more to buy another wife."-Huc. THE BAMBOO. your THE bamboo is one of the most valuable trees in China, and is used for almost every conceivable purpose. It is employed in making soldiers' hats and shields, umbrellas, soles of shoes, scaffolding-poles, measures, baskets, ropes, papers, pencil-holders, brooms, sedan-chairs, pipes, flowerstakes and trellis work in gardens; pillows are made of the shavings, a kind of rush cloak (for wet weather) is made of the leaves, and is called a "So-e," or garment of leaves. On the water it is used for making sails and covers for boats, for fishing-rods and fish-baskets, fishing-stakes and buoys. Catamarans are rude boats, or rather floats, formed of a few logs of bamboo lashed firmly together. In agriculture the bamboo is used in making aqueducts for conveying water to the land; it forms part of the celebrated water-wheel, as well as of the plough, the harrow, and other implements of industry. Excellent water-pipes are made of it, for conveying springs from the hills to supply houses and temples in the valleys with pure water. Its roots are often cut into the most grotesque figures; and its stems finely carved into ornaments for the curious or into incense-burners for the temples. The Ning-po furniture, the most beautiful in China, is often inlaid with figures of people, houses, temples, and pagodas in bamboo, which form most correct and striking pictures of China and the Chinese. The young shoots are boiled and eaten, and sweetmeats are also made from them. A substance found in the joints, called "Tabasheer," is used in medicine. In the manufacture of tea it helps to form the rolling-tables, drying-baskets, and sieves; and last, though not least, the celebrated chopsticks-the most important articles in domestic use-are made from it. However incredulous the reader may be, I must still carry him a step farther, and tell him that I have not enumerated onehalf of the uses to which the bamboo is applied in China. Through life the Chinaman is almost dependent upon it for his support, nor does it leave him until it carries him to his last resting-place on the hill-side; and even then, in company with the cypress, juniper, and pine, it waves over and marks his tomb.-Fortune's Visit to the Tea Districts of China. by JUVENILE POETESS.-The following lines were written Esther Pearson, when only seven years of age :- Majestic King! Great Universal Lord! We sing thy great perfections all sublime. But can we sing thy praise with aught less aid Than that which comes from thee? Unsearchable All thy perfections are, great Lord of All! Reason and thought are lost, and vainly try To gain the summit of that topless mountThat boundless space-that sea without a shore. 'Tis so to all created intellectual powers; Far different to thee; thou knowest them all, And comprehendest all in thy great Self! -BUDS OF HOPE. EVERY LADY HER OWN SHOEMAKER.-The Detroit Advertiser says:-"Quite a large proportion of the ladies in this city make their own boots. When visiting a lady of the ton, it is a very common thing to find her busy with last, awl, waxed ends, pincers, and all the etceteras which compose the kit of the bootmaker. Two or three pairs of boots may be made in a day, and about two dollars husbanded on each pair. In most cases, however, it is fashion rather than economy which induces the employment. The result is, that the fair sex of Detroit will soon be proverbial for wearing the most elegant boots and having the prettiest feet in the Union. The ladies of New York and Boston and other eastern cities must look to their laurels." A GENTLEMAN of Douai, in France, was going out in his carriage to make some calls with his wife, when he discovered that he had left his visiting cards. He ordered his footman, recently come into his service, to go to the mantel-piece in his sitting-room, and bring the cards he should see there. The servant did as ordered, retaining the articles to be used as he would be directed, and off started the gentleman, sending in the footman with cards wherever "not-at-homes" occurred. As these were quite numerous, he turned to his servant with the question, How many cards have you left ?" "Well, sir," said the footman, very innocently, "there's the king of spades, the six of hearts, and the ace of clubs!" The poor fellow had taken the wrong "documents." FROM AUGUST, 1855. OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDENT. BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS. July 27th, 1855. CHERE AMIE, THE taste for high bodies extends even to barège, for this material those fulled at the waist in the gerbe or sheaf form is preferred instead of basque; a trimming is put which forms continuation to the flounces, this is not unfrequently quite omitted, and the fulness put into a band covered by a rather wide ceinture, tied in front with long ends; the sleeves of barège dresses are mostly made with frills laid on corresponding with the flounces, only that noeuds are added raising up each trimming the whole length of the arm, some placed inside the arm, and others on the top; these bodies close behind with plaits at the waist, which admits of their being made with runners. Barèges are often replaced by a new material of mohair batiste, cachemire, or toile d'Asie. With the low bodies fichus Antoinette are worn with frills of guipure or lace, headed by a ribbon ruche, they fasten in front with two small rounded ends or tie behind. Skirts are worn very long and full, and are put into large deep plaits, as the folds of frills and mantelets. Robes of taffetalaine are much in favour, it is a slight material, and generally made with double skirt, is very suitable for trimmings of black lace; a pretty style is with the lace on one side of the skirt, en quilles, with a row of graduated noeuds between each row of lace; if the body is plain and rounded in front a fichu Marie Stuart is worn over it; it is of the same material in folds, and trimmed with lace crossing in front and round behind; open pagoda sleeves, trimmed with lace. Flounces of contrasting colours placed under pinked flounces are progressing so much in favour that they will shortly be a general fashion, and various styles are introduced. Sometimes the upper flounce, when the material is plain, is in deep vandykes, edged with feather fringe, and the under flounce straight. Dresses of clear muslin embroidered, are made with flounces embroidered, and edged by mechlin lace, with taffetas flounces of a light colour under, which has a very pretty effect. It is sometimes said that flounces are less in favour than last season; the endless variety in which they are VOL. 28. seen is a sufficient contradiction to that assertion, from the single flounce half-covering the skirt, to the numerous smaller ones that entirely cover it, and the variety and richness of the ornaments placed on them rather prove the great attention they receive; and those à disposition are particularly pretty; and the chiné styles prevail very much, on some of which are wreaths, on others detached bouquets. The gazes de Chomberg and tulles grenadines are very pretty materials, on which are placed graduated flounces; the bodies are generally low and pointed, with berthe composed of frills, the sleeves à bouillon terminating with three frills. Sleeves are worn rather short, some not lower than the elbow, terminating with frills. Under-sleeves are made of insertions sewed together, and each join is covered by a very narrow black velvet. We have before mentioned the great use made of black velvet on all articles of dress, as well as the mixture of white and black lace. Very few sleeves are worn quite plain; they are made with frills, that is, half-wide to the elbow, or with two frills, according to the material. A new style is likely to be very generally adopted in gloves; those à la mousquetaire are very fashionable. The deep cuffs of velvet moire or taffetas embroidered, are thus designated; they are rather deep, and enlarge gradually, fastening with three small buttons, according to fancy; they generally rise rather high on the arm, having no space between the sleeve and wrist; the cuffs are usually the same colour as the glove. Little girls of eight and ten, as well as ladies, wear the corsages or basquines of black taffetas, with coloured skirts; fringes or fluted ribbons trim the basquines; their collars are square, of cambric, with a simple embroidery, or two rows of narrow valenciennes, separated by an insertion. Twilled materials of white, ecru, or nankin colour are much used for children's wear, braided with round and flat braid intermixed, which produces a very pretty effect, forming a sort of relief; these twills form very pretty costumes of every description, frocks, paletots, rotondes. The rotondes or pelerines of white twill are preferred to paletots or pardessus; they are richly braided, and sometimes trimmed with valenciennes lace; they have small square collars, turned back and fastened by a cord or taffetas ribbon. Their toilettes, when of popeline, alpaga, or mousseline de laine are frequently accompanied by a rotonde the same as the dress; and for chilly weather, they are of black silk, slightly wadded and |