ed to separate them from the rest of the idolatrous world, and banish them by themselves into a land where no man dwelt since the flood.

4. Let several suppositions now be made. Suppose an extensive continent had lately been discovered, away north-east from Media, and at the distance of" a year and a half's journey;" a place probably destitute of inhabitants, since the flood, till the time of the "casting out" of Israel. Suppose a people to have been lately discovered in that sequestersd region, appearing as we should rationally expect the nation of Israel to appear at this period, had the account given by the writer in Esdras been a fact. Suppose them to be found in tribes, with heads of tribes ; but destitute of letters, and in a savage state. Suppose among their different tribes the following traditionary fragments are by credible witnesses picked up; some particulars among one region of them, and some among another; while all appear evidently to be of the same family. Suppose them to have escaped the polytheism of the pagan world, and to acknowledge one, and only one God; the Great Spirit, who created all things seen and unseen. Suppose the name retained by many of them for this Great Spirit, to be Ale, the old Hebrew name of God; and Yohewah, whereas the Hebrew name for Lord was Jehovah ; also they call the Great First Cause, Yah; the Hebrew name being Jah. Suppose you find most of them professing great reverence for this great Yohewah; calling him "the great beneficient supreme holy spirit," and the only object of, worship.Suppose the most intelligent of them to be elated with the idea that this God has ever been the head of their community; that their fathers were once in covenant with him; and the rest of the world were" the accursed people," as out of covenant with God. Suppose you find them, on certain occasions, singing in religious dance, "Hallelujah," or praise to Jah; also singing Yohewah, Shilu Yohewah, and making use of many names and phrases evidently Hebrew. You find them counting their time as did ancient Israel, and in a manner different from all other nations. They keep a variety of religious feasts, which much resemble those kept in ancient Israel. You find an evening feast among them, in which a bone of the animal must not be broken; if the provision be more than one family can eat, a neighbour must be called in to help eat it, and if any of it be still left, it must be burned before the next rising sun. You find them eating bitter vegetables, to cleanse themselves from sin. You find they never eat the hollow of the thigh of any animal. They inform that their fathers practised circumcision. Some of them have been in the habit of keeping a Jubilee. They have their places answering to the cities of refuge, in ancient

25. A much stranger flame than that which issues out of the earth, is that which issues out of the stomach of animals. The anatomical lecturer at Pisa, in the year 1597, happening to hold a lighted candle near the subject he was dissecting, on a sudden set on fire the vapours that came out of the stomach he had just opened. In the same year, as Dr. Ruisch, then anatomy professor at Pisa, was dissecting a woman, a student lighting him with a candle, he had no sooner opened the stomach, than there issued out a yellow greenish flame. A like thing happened some years after at Lyons, in dissecting a woman. Her stomach was no sooner opened, than a considerable flame burst out and filled the place. But this is not so much to be wondered at, since the experiments made by Dr. Vulpari, anatomical professor at Bologna. He affirms, any one may see, issuing from the stomach of an animal, a matter that burns like spirits of wine, if the upper and lower orifices are bound fast with a very strong thread. The stomach thus tied must be cut, above and under the ligature, and afterwards pressed with both hands, so as to make all that it contains, pass to one side. This will produce a swelling in that part, which must be held with the left hand to hinder its escaping. A candle then being held about half an inch from the stomach, let it be suddenly opened by the right hand, and a bluish flame will immediately gush out, which will sometimes last a minute. In the same way flame may be brought forth from the intestines.

Nor is it from carcasses only that flames have issued. This has been the case with live persons likewise. Bartholine, relates, that a popish cavalier, having drank a quantity of brandy died in a little space, after an eruption of a flame through his mouth. He relates also the case of three others, who after drinking much brandy experienced the same symptom. Two presently died; the third escaped by immediately drinking cold water. Still more astonishing is the case of a woman at Paris who used to drink brandy to excess. She was one night reduced to ashes by a fire from within, all but her head and the ends of her fingers. In like manner Cornelia Bandi, an aged lady of unblemished life, near Cesena in Romagna, in 1731, retired in the evening into her chamber; and in the morning was found in the middle of the room, reduced to ashes, all except her face, skull, three fingers and her legs, which remained entire, with her shoes and stockings. The ashes were light: the floor was smeared with a gross, stinking moisture, and the wall and furniture covered with a moist soot, which had stained all the linen in the chest.

Perhaps a larger account of so remarkable an incident will not be unacceptable to the curious reader.

The countess of Cornelia Bandi, in the sixty second year of ber age, was all day, as well as usual. When she was in bed, she passed two or three hours in talking with her maid; then she fell asleep. The maid going into her chamber in the morning, saw two feet distant from the bed, a heap of ashes, and two legs with the stockings on. Between them was part of the head; but the brains, half the scull, and the whole chin, were burnt to ashes. The ashes when taken up, left in the hand a greasy and stinking moisture. The bed received no damage: the clothes were raised on one side, as by a person rising from it.

Doubtless the fire was kindled within her by the juices and fermentations in the stomach, acting on the many combustible matters, which abound in living bodies, for the uses of life. These in sleep, by a full respiration, are put into a stronger motion, and consequently are more apt to take fire.

Borelhi observes, that such accidents often happened to great drinkers of wine and brandy. Such flames would frequently rise in us, if the natural moisture did not prevent.

Undoubtedly she was burnt standing; hence her skall was fallen between her legs, and the back part of her head was damaged more than the fore part, partly because of her hair, partly because in the face, there were many places out of which the flames might pass.

An instance of the same kind occurred at Christ Church in Hampshire, on June 26, 1613. One John Hitchell, a carpenter of that parish, having ended his day's work, came home and went to rest with his wife. Her mother being frightened in her sleep, called on them for help. None answering, she started up and waked her daughter, who found her husband dead by her side. She dragged him out of the bed into the street; but the heat then forced her to let him go. He lay burning there for three days. Not that there was any appearance of fire outwardly, but only a smoke ascending from his carcass, till it was burnt to ashes; except only a small part of his bones which were cast into a pit.

Grace Pett was a fisherman's wife, of the parish of St. Clement's, in Ipswich, about sixty. She had a custom for several years of going down stairs every night, after she was undrest, to smoke a pipe. Her daughter who lay with her, did not miss her till the morning, April 10, 1744, when going down stairs she found her mother's body extended over the hearth, with her Jegs on the deal floor, and appeared like a block of wood, burning with a glowing fire without flame. The neighbors coming in at her cries, found the trunk of the body in a manner burnt to ashes. It then appeared like a heap of charcoal, covered with white ashes, the head, arms, legs, and thighs were also

much burnt. A child's clothes, on one side of her, and a paper skreen on the other, were untouched. The deal floor also ou which her legs lay, was neither singed or discoloured.

NORTHERN AND WESTERN INDIANS.

Proofs that the Indians of North America are lineally descended from the ancient Hebrews.

Extracted from the Rev. E. Smith's View of the Hebrews, with some additional remarks.

In the following remarks proofs are adduced which are thought sufficient to identify the Aborigines of our country as the descendants of the ancient ten tribes of Israel who were carried into captivity 2500 years ago. This branch of the Hebrew family have long been "outcasts" out of sight; or unknown as Hebrews.The questions arise, are they in existence, as a distinct people? If so, who, or where are they? These are queries of great moment, at this period, when the time of their restoration is drawing near.

1. It has been clearly ascertained in the preceding chapter, that the ten tribes, as the Israel of God, are in the last days to be recovered, and restored with the Jews. The valley of dry bones, and the two sticks becoming one in the prophet's hand, have been seen clearly to ascertain this: See Ezek. xxxix. as well as the many other passages noted in that chapter. But as this fact is essential to our inquiring after the ten tribes with confidence of their existence; I shall here note several additional predictions of the event, found in the prophets; and not some passages, which distinguish between the dispersed state of the Jews, and the outcast state of the ten tribes; which distinction will afford some light in our inquiries.

When the restoration of the Hebrews is predicted, in Isaiah xi. that God will in the last days set up an ensign for the nations; it is to" assemble the outcasts of Israel; and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." Mark the distinction; the Jews are "dispersed;" scattered over the nations as Jews, as they have long been known to be; but Israel are" outcast;" cast out from the nations; from society; from the social world; from the knowledge of men, as being Hebrews. This distinction is repeatedly found in the prophets. The dispersed state of the Jews, as Jews, is a most notable idea in the prophetic scriptures. But of Israel, the following language is used; as Isaiah lvi. 8 "The Lord God who gathereth the out