The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 366, April 18, 1829

HEAVING

(For the Mirror.)

They have a ludicrous custom in Staffordshire, at Easter, which they call heaving. The males claim Easter Monday, and the females Tuesday, and on this day a group of the latter assemble, and every male they meet with they seize, and one of them salutes him with a kiss, after which they all lay hold of him and heave him up as high as they can, for this they require some donation, which, if refused, they will seize his hat, handkerchief, or any thing they can lay hold of. This lasts till twelve o'clock. Sometimes old women collect together, and then woe be to the person who does not present them with a trifle, and thus stop their proceedings; for if not, their snuffy beaks might come in contact with their prisoners' lips. They often collect 10 or 12s. and spend it in carousing at night.

W.H.

CONVICTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The regular hours of work are from sun-rise to sun-set; but so few settlers get up to see that this time is kept, that a much shorter period is generally employed in labour. The expense of maintaining a convict is rather a difficult calculation: where there are many men, they are, of course, supported at much less per man than where there are but few, from being able to buy slop clothes, tea, and the other necessaries, at wholesale prices, of the importing merchant. The waste, also, made by the convicts in their meat, &c. is a serious consideration: the head and entrails of animals slaughtered for their use, and which an English labourer would be glad of, are thrown away as only fit for the dogs; nothing but the body and legs are deemed sufficiently good for these dainty characters. Taking all expenses into consideration, I think that from 25l. to 30l. per man may be estimated as the annual cost—Widowson's Present State of Van Dieman's Land.

THROWING STONES AT THE DEVIL

On arriving at Wady Muna, each nation encamped upon the spot which custom has assigned to it, at every returning Hadj. After disposing of the baggage, the hadjys hastened to the ceremony of throwing stones at the devil. It is said that, when Abraham or Ibrahim returned from the pilgrimage to Arafat, and arrived at Wady Muna, the devil Eblys presented himself before him at the entrance of the valley, to obstruct his passage; when the angel Gabriel, who accompanied the patriarch, advised him to throw stones at him, which he did, and after pelting him seven times, Eblys retired. When Abraham reached the middle of the valley, he again appeared before him, and, for the last time, at its western extremity, and was both times repulsed by the same number of stones. According to Azraky, the Pagan Arabs, in commemoration of this tradition, used to cast stones in this valley as they returned from the pilgrimage; and setup seven idols at Muna, of which there was one in each of the three spots where the devil appeared, at each of which they cast three stones. Mohammed, who made this ceremony one of the chief duties of the hadjys, increased the number of stones to seven. At the entrance of the valley, towards Mezdelfe, stands a rude stone pillar, or rather altar, between six or seven feet high, in the midst of the street, against which the first seven stones are thrown, as the place where the devil made his first stand: towards the middle of the valley is a similar pillar, and at its western end a wall of stones, which is made to serve the same purpose. The hadjys crowded in rapid succession round the first pillar, called "Djamrat el Awla;" and every one threw seven small stones successively upon it; they then passed to the second and third spots (called "Djamrat el Owsat," and "Djamrat el Sofaly," or "el Akaba," or "el Aksa,") where the same ceremony was repeated. In throwing the stones, they are to exclaim, "In the name of God; God is great (we do this) to secure ourselves from the devil and his troops." The stones used for this purpose are to be of the size of a horse-bean, or thereabouts; and the pilgrims are advised to collect them in the plain of Mezdelfe, but they may likewise take them from Muna; and many people, contrary to the law, collect those that have already been thrown.—Burckhardt's Travels.

THE GATHERER

A snapper up of unconsidered trifles.

    SHAKSPEARE.

THE COACHMAN

The moment he has got his seat and made his start, you are struck at once with the perfect mastership of his art. The hand just over his left thigh, the arm without constraint, steady, and with a holding command that keeps his horses like clock-work; yet to a superficial observer quite with loose reins; so firm and compact he is, that you seldom observe any shifting, only to take a shorter purchase for a run down hill; his right hand and whip are beautifully in unison; the crop, if not in a direct line with the box, over the near wheel, raised gracefully up as it were to reward the near side horse; the thong—the thong after three twists, which appears in his hand to have been placed by the maker never to be altered or improved ...... and if the off-side horse becomes slack, to see the turn of his arm to reduce a twist, or to reverse, if necessary, is exquisite: after being placed under the rib, or upon the shoulder point, up comes the arm, and with it the thong returns to the elegant position upon the crop! I say elegant! the stick, highly polished yew—rather light—not too taper—yet elastic; a thong in clean order, pliable. All done without effort—merely a turn of the wrist!

At twelve o'clock at noon, on the day before Easter, the resurrection service begins at the Quirinal Chapel at Rome; when a curtain is drawn back, which conceals a picture of our Lord: bells ring, drums are beaten, guns are fired, and joy succeeds to mourning.

ACROSTIC ON "THE MIRROR."

MIRROR! methinks your name indeed is true
In every other point, except that you,
Resplendent with the wisdom of mankind,
Reflect not to the sight, but to the mind.
Oh! may success then to your pains accrue,
Rewarding all your merit with its due.

D.

LOVE

Love reigns the lord of every mortal heart;
He wounds the beggar, wounds the king,
And is the fairest, falsest thing,
That e'er excited joy, or bade a bosom smart.
Light as the wind, rough as the wave,
He's both a tyrant and a slave;
A fire that freezes, and a frost that's hot,
A bitter sweet, a luscious sour,
Wretched is he who knows his pow'r,
But far more wretched still is he who knows it not.

TRUTH, A FABLE

At the gates of Sorbonne, Truth one day showed her face. The syndic met her. "What," said he, "do you want?" "Alas! hospitality." "Your name?" "My name is Truth." "Flee," said he, in anger, "flee, or I seek vengeance on your profaneness." "You chase me away," answered Truth; "but I live in hope to have my turn, being the spoiled child of Time, and gaining every thing by the means of my father."

The initial letters of the Latin names of the kings of Bonaparte's family form the Latin word Nihil, (nothing;) and this used to be called the genealogical acrostic:

L udovicus.
I osephus.
H ieronymus.
I oachim.
N apoleo.

T.B.

THE SUBTERFUGE

"I vow, my dear Strephon," said Chloe one day,
While Damon lay hid in the bower,
"Yon sun that now gazes shall see a kiss given
To no one but thee from this hour."

Now Strephon is gone—and with mournful eye
Poor Damon upbraided the fair.
"Hush! blockhead," said Chloe, "the sun's now on high,
But d'ye think it will always be there?"

Lately published, with a Frontispiece, and thirty other Engravings, price 5s.

THE ARCANA OF SCIENCE, AND ANNUAL REGISTER OF THE USEFUL ARTS, FOR 1829

"This is a valuable register of the progress of science and arts during the past year. Engravings and a low price qualify it for extensive utility."—Literary Gazette, March 21.

"An agreeable and useful little volume."—Athenæum, Feb. 18.

notes

1

The eight principal public schools of the kingdom are considered to be those of Winchester; Westminster; Eton; Harrow; the Charter House; Merchant Tailor's; St. Paul's; and Rugby.

2

We have often seen an etching of this exhibition.

3

It must be recollected that wild fowl in consequence of their living on animal diet, give more readily a putrid disposition to the fluids.