N of THE BLUESTONE.--This stone is of an oval shape 1 2/10 in.
long, 7/10 broad, 3/10 thick, and, having been broken formerly, is now
set in gold.

When a person is bitten by a poisonous snake, the bite must be opened
by a cut of a lancet or razor longways, and the stone applied within
twenty-four hours. The stone then attaches itself firmly on the wound,
and when it has done its office falls off; the cure is then complete.
The stone must then be thrown into milk, whereupon it vomits the poison
it has absorbed, which remains green on the top of the milk, and the
stone is then again fit for use.

This stone has been from time immemorial in the family of Ventura, of
Corfu, a house of Italian origin, and is notorious, so that peasants
immediately apply for its aid. Its virtue has not been impaired by the
fracture. Its nature or composition is unknown.

In a case where two were stung at the same time by serpents, the stone
was applied to one, who recovered; but the other, for whom it could not
be used, died.

It never failed but once, and then it was applied after the twenty-four
hours.

Its colour is so dark as not to be distinguished from black.

P. M. COLQUHOUN.

Corfu, 7th Nov., 1860.

Sir Emerson Tennent, in his popular and excellent work on Ceylon, gives
an account of "snake stones" apparently similar to the one at Corfu,
except that they are "intensely black and highly polished," and which
are applied, in much the same manner, to the wounds inflicted by the
cobra-capella.

QUERY.-Might it not be worth while to ascertain the chemical properties
of these stones, and, if they be efficacious in the extraction of venom
conveyed by a bite, might they not be as successful if applied to the
bite of a mad dog as to that of a cobra-capella?

CHAPTER LI.

When we separated for the night, which we did at eleven o'clock,
Margrave said,--

"Good-night and good-by. I must leave you to-morrow, Strahan, and before
your usual hour for rising. I took the liberty of requesting one of your
men to order me a chaise from L----. Pardon my seeming abruptness, but
I always avoid long leave-takings, and I had fixed the date of my
departure almost as soon as I accepted your invitation."

"I have no right to complain. The place must be dull indeed to a gay
young fellow like you. It is dull even to me. I am meditating flight
already. Are you going back to L----?"

"Not eve