GLEANINGS IN USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. FACTS THAT EVERY ONE MAY NOTICE. IN a cup of tea the bubbles are found arranging themselves round the sides of the cup, which attracts them. The little bubbles are always attracted by the larger ones, into which they are blended. Passing a pond in still weather, in autumn, when the leaves are fallen, it will often be observed that the sides of the pond are covered with leaves, while the middle of the pond is clear. The shores of the pond exert an attractive force. Many keep plants and flowers in pots, and when supplying their plants with water, instead of pouring it into the pot to sink through the mould, they very properly-though perhaps ignorant of the reason for what they do-pour the water into the saucer, which is taken up by the mould and transferred to the stem and leaves of the plant by attraction. Vegetation on the margin of a river is very rich, because the porous banks take up the water by attraction to the roots of the plants growing near the banks. At every tea-table, it may be observed that a lump of sugar left at rest at the hollow of a tea-cup does not melt away; if stirred about it melts away rapidly; or if held in the tea-spoon slantingly, but ever so quietly, at the top of the tea, it also dissolves quite fast. How is all this? When left quiet at the bottom of the cup, the tea immediately surrounding the sugar dissolves as much as it can hold in solution, and this solution of sugar, being heavier than the tea above, remains around the undissolved sugar like a shield or case. When this is stirred, however, fresh portions of the pure tea-water come in contact with the remainder of the lump, and dissolve it. When the sugar is held at the top of the tea, as soon as a portion melts, the sweetened tea being now heavier descends to the bottom of the cup, leaving the water immediately in contact with the unsaturated sugar. This process continues until the whole lump is dissolved. These common things are mentioned to teach the young to observe every occurrence that happens around them; as there is a cause for every occurrence, and the discovery of that cause rewards the labour of finding it. CORK. Many persons see corks used daily without knowing whence those useful materials came. Corks are cut in large slabs from the cork-tree, a species of oak, which grows wild in the countries of South Europe. The tree is stripped of its bark at about sixteen years old; but, before stripping it off, the tree is not cut down as in the case of the oak. It is taken while the tree is growing, and the operation may be repeated every eighth or ninth year; the quality of the bark continuing each time to improve as the age of the tree increases. When the bark is taken off, it is singed in the flames of a strong fire; and, after being soaked for a considerable time in water, it is placed under heavy weights, in order to render it straight. Its extreme lightness, and the ease with which it can be compressed, are properties so peculiar to this substance, that no good substitute for it has been discovered. The valuable properties of cork were known to the Greeks and Romans, who employed it for all the purposes for which it is used at present, with the exception of stoppers. The ancients mostly used cement for stopping the mouths of bottles or vessels. The Egyp tians are said to have made coffins of cork, which being spread on the inside with a kind of rosin, preserved dead bodies from decay. In modern times, cork was not generally used for stoppers to bottles till about the close of the seventeenth century-wax being used till then for that purpose. The cork imported into Great Britain is brought principally from Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The quantity annually consumed is upwards of 500 tons! THE AFFLICTED CHILD. O MY Saviour, thou didst heal Humbly unto thee I pray, Thou canst ease me, though distrest, Thou thyself wast once a child, If my sickness still should last, ALL THE WAY TO INDIA. "Now listen to me, Ronald; for, unless you are duller than usual, in half au hour I will put something into your head worth remembering." "What is it about, uncle ? what is it about ?" No. 82. OCTOBER, 1851. L "It is about India." 66 'India! Oh, then, you may make sure of my attention. You are going to tell me, I dare say, all about Sepoys, and Lascars, and elephants, and royal striped tigers." "Not a single word of either the one or the other. In India, as you know, there are millions and millions of people under the British rule, who like ourselves have souls to be saved or lost; and our merchants carry on a great trade with the country: therefore it is a point of much importance that the passage to this distant land should be made as short and convenient as possible." "I see it is. I have heard that people have been half a year in going to India.' "That must have been a long while ago; however, we have no time to talk about it now. Such excellent arrangements have taken place latterly, that the passage may now be made in little better than six weeks." 66 66 Only six weeks in going to India!" Only little better than six weeks; but listen, and you shall know how to proceed, if you are disposed to venture. Pack up your trunk, and I will tell you how, in the time I mention, you may go all the way to India. First, you must pay your passage-money, which will be at the least a hundred and twenty-seven pounds, and then you must set off to Southampton." "But where am I to get the money, uncle? Where am I to get a hundred and twenty-seven pour ds ? " "Nay; that is your affair, and not mine: but I will suppose that, somehow or other, you have got it. Well; you get on board the steamer on |