les of the system which I gave to Montalluyah,
namely, the promotion of those possessing superior talents, goodness and
industry, was intended to imitate the mode in which, according to our
belief, the spirits of the good are elevated to superior ranks of
spheres according to the manner in which they pass through their several
progressive states.

In Montalluyah slander is regarded with horror. A person of either sex
who slandered a woman, and even one who gave credence to a slander
without careful investigation, would be severely punished and condemned
to wear "the dress of shame," on which would be exposed the nature of
the offence, and the base motives of the traducer.

In the cases of slander that occurred at the beginning of my reign the
offence was generally traced to envy, to the inferiority of the
slanderers to the standard of their victims whom they sought to reduce
to their own level, rarely to a desire for good.

Our horror of slanderers had been increased by the persecutions which
numbers of virtuous persons like Zacosta had suffered from the
malevolent; the very anxiety of the innocent to repel accusations having
formerly been looked upon by our hot-blooded people as evidence of
guilt. Many had preferred to suffer in silence rather than seem to give
life and consistency to a charge by their efforts to repel it.

We have a saying in Montalluyah that to attack beauty and goodness is to
attack Heaven itself, from whose attributes they are derived.

3. Raskutshi.--Supposed to be the king of the air, and ruler
of all the zephyrs and spirits of the region. According to our poetical
legends Raskutshi comes near the Earth when angry, and his advent is
followed by a terrific storm. The air preceding certain storms in our
climate has a peculiar effect in creating a species of torpor. It is
then supposed that "Raskutshi spreads his wings over the temples of his
people."

4. Kamouska.--A loving little animal like a bird, very
beautiful and gentle, with an eye of jet black, and of great brilliancy,
but softened when the little thing wishes to be petted. She likes much
the electricity of the mouth, and puts up her face as though wishing to
be kissed, at the same time emitting a beautiful musical sound. Her body
is covered with the softest down, finer than that of the ostrich or the
marabout. The feathers are of the richest gold and crimson, mingled with
grey, her breast of the richest crimson conceivable. The top