ea Islands used to
enjoy for cannibalistic practices, it is pleasing to read that the
natives of one of the isles in the Marshall group in the South Pacific
Ocean rescued the crew of a vessel wrecked near Ujaal Island. A number
of natives went in their boats to the wreck and took off the crew and a
lady passenger, conveying them to an island some fifteen miles from the
spot where the ship was lost, and treating them with great kindness.
Tents were erected out of the sails of the wrecked vessel, which were
removed for the purpose.

A Strange Vow.

Not long since there died in a workhouse in Southwark a pedlar who used
to sell odds-and-ends on a tray on London Bridge, and who pretended to
be deaf and dumb. It is said that, though clothed in rags, he was a
Swiss gentleman of means who, stung by remorse, had vowed not to open
his lips for ten years, to go bareheaded and barefooted, and to abandon
for twenty years all the advantages of his fortune. His vow was rigidly
kept, and at the period of his death he was in the fourteenth year of
his singular penance.

Honour among Cats.

Seeing that pussy is by no means friendly to birds, it is rather
gratifying to hear of a cat that was entrusted with the care of a
shopful of birds and was true to her trust. She was shut in the shop for
the purpose of doing battle with such rats and mice as might put in an
appearance; and discharged this duty with signal success. Yet though it
may have been--at first at any rate--a sore trial to her to keep her
paws off the birds, she was able to resist every temptation to gratify
her natural tastes, and might even have been seen quietly snoozing on
the top of one of the cages.

Memory in Parrots.

These birds have retentive memories. A parrot that belonged to a lady
recognised a black servant after three years' absence. Another bird was
so fierce that no one in the house liked to touch it, but it would allow
a lady visitor to handle it with impunity. It was at last given away, as
its ill temper seemed incurable. About three years later this lady
called upon a friend, when a parrot in the corner of the room became
greatly excited. As it was generally very quiet in its demeanour, its
mistress remarked the unusual behaviour, but her visitor on going up to
the cage recognised her old friend of the savage disposition, which had
not forgotten her. When she spoke to it the bird was much pleased, and
came on to her hand and fondled her.