limbs, in consequence of the pressure of the cords, the knots of which penetrated into the flesh, and caused the blood to flow, even before they had employed the bands. It was in this cruel position that the executioners introduced at the bottom of the throat of the victim a piece of fine linen, wet, a part of which covered the nostrils. They afterwards turned the water into the mouth and nose, and then left it to filter so slowly, that one hour, at least, was exhausted, before the sufferer had swallowed a drop, although it trickled without interruption. Thus the patient found no interval for respiration. At every instant he made an effort to swallow, hoping to give passage to a little air; but as the wet linen was so placed as to prevent this, and to cause the water, at the same time, to enter by the nostrils, it will be perceived that this new combination must necessarily place great difficulty in the way of the most important function of life. Thus it often happened that when the torture was finished, they drew the fine linen from the throat all stained with the blood of some of the vessels which had been ruptured by the struggles of the unfortunate victim. It ought to be added, that at every instant a powerful arm turned the fatal lever, and at each turn the cords which surrounded the arms and legs, penetrated even to the bones. If, by the second torment, they could obtain no confession, the inquisitors afterwards had recourse to fire. To make this trial, the executioners commenced by tying the hands and feet in such a manner that the sufferers could not change their position; then they rubbed the feet with oil and lard, and other penetrating substances, and placed them before the fire, until the flesh was so roasted that the bones and sinews appeared in all parts. MONUMENT AT WATERLOO. THE following is an account, given by a recent traveller, of the monument now erecting by order of the Netherlands government to commemorate the battle of Waterloo :-The monument, as it is called, has a very imposing effect, even in its unfinished state. It is an earthern mound or hill, of conical form, resembling the one near Kennett, in England, but of larger dimensions, and more striking appearance. It is of immense size, being upwards of sev en hundred feet diameter at the base or two thousand one hundred and sixty feet in circumference. It is two hundred feet high, and one hundred feet in diameter at the top; there is a double carriage road winding round it in a spiral form and supplying an easy means DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT LEYDEN. 239 of ascent for carriages to the very top, and by this road the materials have been, and are conveyed to complete the work. In the centre is a shaft of brick work, which has been carried up from the bottom and is still going on. It is to be sixty feet higher than the top of the mound, making the whole height two bundred and sixty feet. It is intended for a pedestal to receive a lion twenty one feet long and twelve feet high; which is ready to be put up when the work is finished. The mound has been eighteen months in hand, and is to be completed in six more; and from what has been done, little doubt remains that it will be so. For the first twelve months 2000 men, 600 horses, and as many carts as could be kept at work were employed on it, and the number has only been reduced as the termination of this great undertaking approaches. At present, as the works are going on, at the top, it has a pleasing appearance from the great number of horses, carts, and people ascending and descending by the winding road. DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT LEYDEN. THE 12th of January, 1807, is rendered remarkable by a fatal accident at Leyden, in Holland. A vessel loaded with gunpowder entered one of the largest canals in the Rapenburg, a street inhabited chiefly by the most respectable families, and moored to a tree in front of the house of professor Rau, of the University. In Holland, almost every street has a canal in the middle, faced with a brick wall up to the level of the street, and with lime trees planted on both sides, which produce a beautiful effect, and form a delightful shade in hot weather. Vessels of all kinds are frequently moored to these trees, but Leyden being an inland town, the greater part of those which happened to be in the Rapenburg were country vessels. Several yachts, belonging to parties of pleasure from the Hague and other places, were lying close to the newly arrived vessel, and no person was aware of the distructive cargo it contained. A student of the University, who, at about a quarter past four o'clock in the afternoon, was passing through a street from which there was a view of the Rapenburgh, with the canal and vessels, related the following particulars to the editor of the Monthly Magazine. "At that moment, when every thing was perfectly tranquil, and most of the respectable families were sitting down to dinner in perfeet security, at that instant, I saw the vessel torn from its moorings; a 240 DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT LEYDEN. a stream of fire burst from it in all directions, a thick black cloud enveloped all the surrounding parts and darkened the heavens, whilst a burst, louder and more dreadful than the loudest thunder, instantly followed, and vibrated through the air to a great distance, burying houses and churches in one common ruin. For some moments horror and consternation deprived every one of his recollection, but a universal exclamation followed, of "O God, what is it?" Hundreds of people might be seen rushing out of their falling houses, and running along the streets, not knowing what direction to take; many fell down on their knees in the streets, persuaded that the last day was come; others supposed they had been struck by lightning, and but few seemed to conjecture the real cause. In the midst of this awful uncertainty, the cry of "O God, what is it?" again sounded mournfully through the air, but it seemed as if none could answer the dreadful question. One conjecture followed another, but at last, when the black thick cloud which had enveloped the whole city had cleared away a little, the awful truth was revealed, and soon all the inhabitants of the city were seen rushing to the ruins to assist the sufferers. There were five large schools on the Rapenburg, and all at the time full of children. The horror of the parents and relations of these youthful victims is not to be described or even imagined; and though many of them were saved almost miraculously, yet no one dared to hope to see his child drawn alive from under a heap of smoking ruins. "Flames soon broke out from four different parts of the ruins and threatened destruction to the remaining part of Leyden. The multitude seemed as it were animated with one common soul in extricating the sufferers, and stopping the progress of the flames. None withdrew from the awful task, and the multitude increased every moment by people coming from the surrounding country, the explosion having been heard at the distance of fifty miles. Night set in, the darkness of which, added to the horrors of falling houses, the smothering smoke, the raging of the flames, and the roaring of the winds on a tempestuous winter night, produced a scene neither to be described nor imagined; while the heart rending cries of the sufferers, or the lamentations of those whose friends or children were under the ruins, broke upon the ear at intervals. Many were so entirely overcome with fear and astonishment, that about them without taking notice of any thing, while others seemed full of activity, but incapable of directing their efforts to any par ticular object. they stared "In the middle of the night, Louis Bonaparte, then king of Holland, arrived from the palace of Loo, having set out as soon as the express reached him with the dreadful tidings. Louis was much beloved by his subjects, and his name is still mentioned by them with great respect. On this occasion his presence was very useful. He encouraged the active and comforted the sufferers, and did not leave the place till he had established good order, and promised every assistance in restoring both public and private losses. He immediately gave a large sum of money to the city, and granted it many valuable privileges, besides exemption from imposts and taxes for a number of years. arms. "Some degree of order having been restored, the inhabitants were divided into classes, not according to their rank, but the way in which they were employed about the ruins. These classes were distinguished by bands of different colors tied round their The widely extended ruins now assumed the appearance of hills and valleys, covered with multitudes of workmen, producing to the eye an ever-varying scene of different occupations. The keel of the vessel in which the catastrophe commenced, was found buried deep in the earth at a considerable distance, together with the remains of a yacht from the Hague with a party of pleasure, which lay close to it. The anchor of the powder vessel was found in a field without the city, and a very heavy piece of lead at the foot of the mast was thrown into a street at a great distance. "One of the most affecting incidents was the fate of the pupils of the different schools on the Rapenburg. At the destructive moment, the wife of the principal of the largest of them was standing at the door with her child in her arms; she was instantly covered with the falling beams and bricks, the child was blown to atoms, and she was thrown under a tree at some distance. Part of the floor of the school-room sunk into the cellar, and twelve children were killed instantly; the rest, miserably wounded, shrieked for help, and one was heard to call, "Help me, help me, I will give my watch to my deliverer." Fathers and mothers rushed from all parts of the city to seek their children, but after digging five hours they found their labor fruitless; and some were even obliged to leave the spot in dreadful suspense, to attend to other near relations dug out in other quarters. They at last succeeded, by incredible efforts, in bringing up some of the children, but in such a state that many of their parents could not recognise them, and not a few were committed to the grave without its being known who they were. Many of these children, both among the dead and those who recovered, bled profusely, while no wound could be discovered in any part of their bodies. Others were preserved in a wonderful manner, and without the least hurt. Forty children were killed. In some houses large companies were assembled, and in one, a newly married couple, from a distance, had met a numerous party of their friends. One person who was writing in a small room, was driven through a window above the door, into the staircase, and fell to the bottom without receiving much hurt. Many were preserved by the falling of the beams or rafters in a particular direction, which protected them, and they remained for many hours, some for a whole day and night. A remarkable fact of this kind happened, when the city of Delft was destroyed by an explosion of gunpowder in 1654; a child, a year old, was found two days afterwards sucking an apple, and sitting under a beam, with just space left for its body. Two others at a little distance were in their cradles quite safe. At that time almost the whole of Delft was destroyed. Leyden is as large a city, but not so populous, as Rotterdam, the second city in Holland. Upwards of two hundred houses were overthrown on this occasion, besides churches and public buildings; the Stadt, or town-house, was among the latter. One hundred and fifty-one dead bodies were taken from the ruins, besides many that died after. Upwards of two thousand were wounded more or less dangerously. It is remarkable that none of the students of the University were either killed or wounded, though they all lodged in different parts of the city, or wherever they please. Contributions were immediately began, and large sums raised. The king of Holland gave 30,000 guilders, and the queen 10,000; a very large sum was collected in London. POSTS IN ENGLAND. THE Conveyance of letters by post, was invented by the English parliament of 1643. Post Masters existed earlier than that period, but their business was probably confined to furnishing horses and expresses on urgent occasions. The outline of the present plan seems to have been originally conceived by Edmund Prideaux, who was appointed deputy Attorney General to the Commonwealth, after the murder of King Charles. He was chairman of a committee in 1642, to fix the rates on inland letters, and afterwards appointed Post Master by an ordinance |