The Book of Nature: Embracing a Condensed Survey of the Animal Kingdom as Well as Sketches of Vegetable Anatomy, Geology, Botany, Minerology ...

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Sam'l C. Atkins, 1834 - 278 pages
 

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Page 12 - Bacon, that the words of prophecy are to be interpreted as the words of one 'with whom a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years.
Page 77 - By wintry famine roused, from all the tract Of horrid mountains which the shining Alps, And wavy Apennine, and Pyrenees, Branch out stupendous into distant lands ; Cruel as death, and hungry as the grave ! Burning for blood ! bony, and gaunt, and grim ! Assembling wolves in raging troops descend ; And, pouring o'er the country, bear along, Keen as the north wind sweeps the glossy snow. All is their prize.
Page 86 - She went off a second time as before; and, having crawled a few paces, looked again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. But still her Cubs not rising to follow her, she returned to them again ; and, with signs of inexpressible fondness, went round, pawing them and moaning.
Page 77 - Dame, then an unenclosed, uninhabited place, and Macaire was allowed for his weapon a great cudgel. An empty cask was given to the dog as a place of retreat, to enable him to recover breath. Every thing being prepared, the dog no sooner found himself at liberty, than he ran round his adversary, avoiding his blows...
Page 86 - ... within it. A bear, ranging the neighbouring ice, was soon enticed to the spot, by the smell of burning meat. He perceived the bait, approached, and seized it in his mouth ; but his foot, at the same moment, by a jerk of the rope, being entangled in the noose, he pushed it off with the adjoining paw, and deliberately retired. After having eaten the piece he carried away with him, he returned.
Page 26 - With food at will; lodge them below the storm, And watch them strict : for from the bellowing east, In this dire season, oft the whirlwind's wing Sweeps up the burden of whole wintry plains At one wide waft, and o•er the hapless flocks, Hid in the hollow of two neighbouring hills, The billowy tempest whelms; till, upward urged, The valley to a shining mountain swells, Tipt with a wreath high-curling in the sky.
Page 86 - ... gave each a share, reserving but a small portion to herself. As she was fetching away the last piece, they levelled their muskets at the cubs, and shot them both dead ; and in her retreat they wounded the dam, but not mortally. It would have drawn tears of pity from any but unfeeling minds, to have marked the affectionate concern expressed by this poor beast, in the dying moments of her expiring young.
Page 15 - Alceste, in Anjeer Roads at Java, when we were proceeding to China with the embassy under .Lord Amherst. A number of ducks and hens, which had died in the night, were, as usual, thrown overboard in the morning, besides several baskets, and many other minor things, such as bundles of shavings and bits of cordage, all which things were found in this huge sea-monster's inside.
Page 59 - Should the current lie very gentle, the dam is carried nearly straight across ; but when the stream is swift, it is uniformly made with a considerable curve, having the convex part opposed to the current. Along with the trunks and branches of trees they intermingle mud and stones, to give greater security ; and, when dams have been long undisturbed and frequently repaired, they acquire great solidity, and their power of resisting the pressure of water...

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