RHODE ISLAND NORMAL SCHOOL. We had an opportunity to be present for a short time, a few days since, at the exercises of the Normal School, and were glad to find so great a number of teachers in attendance. The school has been opened with very flattering prospects, and it is a subject of congratulation that we have such a school in the State and under the management of such able instructors. The sessions of the school are held in the Second Universalist Church, (nearly opposite the City Hotel.) The exercises continue from 9 A. M. to 1 P. M. every day, except Saturday and Sunday.Prof. Greene gives instruction in grammar; Mr. Colburn in arithmetic and geography, and Prof. William Russell and Mr. Sumner in reading and elocution. Prof. Guyot is also expected to assist. The school will continue through the winter, and we hope that the enterprising gentlemen who have undertaken it will receive such encouragement as to induce them to continue it the next winter. MAP OF THE STATE. We understand that Mr. Walling has nearly completed his survey of the South part of the State, and that his map of the State will probably be published soon. When published, each school district will be entitled to a copy of it. From the Massachusetts School Journal, Vol. 1st. Naked, on parent knees, a newborn child Thou then may'st smile, while all around thee weep. An eastern Poet, translated by Sir William Jones. We heard the following interesting conversation a few days since, between two candidates for academic honor: "Bill, spell cat, rat, hat, bat, fat, with only one letter for each word." "It can't be did." "What! you just ready to report verbatim, phonetically, and can't do that? Just look here! c 80 cat, r80 rat, h 80 hat, b 80 bat, f80 fat." DISTRICT AND VILLAGE LIBRARIES. We have been for some time engaged in preparing a catalogue of books suitable for district and village libraries, and now have it nearly completed. It is founded upon the catalogue prepared by Mr. Barnard, and published in the journal of the Rhode Island Institute of Instruction, but with an improved classification of the books and many additions. We shall probably publish it in the December number of this Magazine. This catalogue has been a work of some labor, and we hope will be useful to those who are selecting books for such libraries. It must shortly be determined whether this Magazine shall be continued for another year. Knowing that few such undertakings had ever been supported by subscribers only, and knowing that if we relied upon subscribers, the Magazine would have but a small circulation and would not effect the objects we desired, we determined in the beginning to send it free of charge to the clerk of every school district, and the chairman and clerk of every school committee. In this way it may be made a means by which all necessary information relating to the schools, school law, &c., can be circulated in every part of the State. The advantage of having such a means of communication as this must be obvious at once. Three liberal gentlemen of the city of Providence, offered to aid us in bearing the expense of the publication, but about half of the amount necessary to pay the bills remains to be raised. We think the Magazine has done good, and may be made hereafter (now that it is well known and its circulation is established,) to do a great deal more good than it has yet done. A deaf and dumb person being asked, "What is forgiveness?" took a pencil and wrote a reply, containing a volume of the most exquisite and deep truth, in these words:"It is the odour which flowers yield when trampled upon." Another being asked, "What is gratitude?" replied in a similar manner; "It is the memory of the heart." Philosophers say that shutting the eyes makes the sense of hearing more acute. A wag suggests that this accounts for the many closed eyes that are seen in our churches on Sundays. AN AFRICAN REVIEW. The King took his seat under a canopy of umbrellas, and placed us on his right: about the royal person were the ministers and high military officers; at the foot of the throne sat the too-noo-noo; and now in the distance, ready at call, appeared the mae-ha-pah, a soldier too. As soon as the King was seated, the troops, male and female, marched past in quick time; 77 banners and 160 huge umbrellas enlivening the scene; while 55 discordant bands, and the shouts of soldiers as they hailed the King en passant, almost deafened the observers. The royal male regiment, separating from the main body, headed by an emblem of a leopard on a staff, skirmished toward the royal canopy, keeping up a constant independent fire. In advance was a band of blunderbuss men in long green grass cloaks, for bush service. Halting in front, they held aloft their muskets with one hand, while with the other they rattled a small metal bell, which each soldier carried, and yelled and shouted. Some having lighted ornamented pieces, flung them in the air, to catch them again. This is the Dahoman salute; and, in answer to it, his majesty left his war-stool, and placing himself at their head, danced a war-dance. First, he received a musket and fired it; then 'danced, advanced, and retired; he then crept cautiously forward, and standing on tiptoe, reconnoitered; this he did several times, dancing each time a retreat; at last, making certain of the position of the enemy, he received and fired a musket; and this was the signal for all, with a war-cry to rush on and recommence firing. On their recall, having again saluted, the King returned to his tent, and told us he had been to war. After much firing, the Amazons took position to the left, and having formed a canopy in the center for their officers, who sat on stools, squatted on their hams. In this undignified but usual position, with their long Danish muskets standing up like a forest, they remained observers of the remainder of the operation. This now became a sort of military levee, at which each chief prostrated before the King, introduced his officers, and reported the numbers of his retainers. Having taken ground at the further end of the field, one at a time, the squadrons enfiladed between two fetish houses, and commenced an independent open fire, and deploying into line, passed to the right of the royal stool, while the officers came up at double quick time, prostrated themselves, danced, fired muskets, and then received each, as a mark of favor, a bottle of rum. After the cabooceers had thus passed, the ministers performed the same ceremony, among them as Senor Ignatio Da Souza, the slave dealer and cabooceer, at the head of his brother the chacha's levies. As they danced down toward the royal seat the King left his throne and went out and danced with him. A regiment advanced, guarding the idols of the military festishes; the King again left his stoo, and poured some rum on black puddings of human blood, which were carried by the fetish priests. At seven the last body had passed, that of the mayo's company of 300 men, which ended the review. Order and discipline were observable throughout, uniform and good accoutrements general; and, except in the most civilized countries in the world, and even there as regarded the order of the multitude, no review could have gone off better. There was no delay, no awkwardness, no accident-aides-de-camp rushing about with orders; it was noble and extremely interesting. Every facility was offered us toward acquiring information, and, except an exaggeration in numbers, truly given. The King has great pride in his army, and often turned to us with an inquiring eye as the Amazons went through their evolutions; he is justly proud of these female guards, who appear in every way to rival the male.-Dahomey and the Dahomans, by F. E. Forbes, R. N. OPINION OF AN OPPONENT. Robert Rantoul, Jr., recently paid the following high compliment to Mr. Webster: "That gigantic intellect whom nowhere in America need I name, who in the forensic art has far surpassed all emulation in this hemisphere; and, in my judgment, looking through the present generation of men, in the old world also; combining the fiery energy of movement, sustained, though impetuous, proper to the great vindicator of Athenian liberty, with a fancy as rich and a diction as glowing as those of the Roman orator, but whose exuberance is chastened and restrained by the severer taste which subjects all ornament to the necessities of dense and ponderous logic, to form an oratory like which there is nothing, and second to which there is nothing, in the works of other statesmen of our times." A gentleman in conversation with Mr. John Wesley once used the expression Vox populi vox Dei. He at once replied, "No, it cannot be the voice of God; for it was vox populi that cried out, 'Crucify him, crucify him!" THE RHODE ISLAND EDUCATIONAL MAGAZINE will be published monthly. All pamphlets, exchange papers, or communications, should be addressed to E. R. POTTER, Providence, R. I. Letters, (post paid) may be directed to Providence or Kingston. Terms, 50 cents per annum, in advance. RHODE ISLAND EDUCATIONAL MAGAZINE. VOL. I. PROVIDENCE, DECEMBER, 1852. NO. 12. We have delayed the publication of this number of the Educational Magazine for the purpose of including the "Schedule of Inquiries to be made respecting every School," prepared by Mr. Barnard, our predecessor, as Commissioner of Public Schools in this State, and now Superintendent of Common Schools in Connecticut. These inquiries have been drawn up, to direct the attention of school officers and parents to the most important circumstances in the location, external arrangements and organization of a school, as well as to the main features in its internal economy. It is not expected that any officer will attempt to answer, or procure answers to every question; but it is believed that the careful perusal of this schedule before, or while visiting a school, will bring that school, with all its conditions of success or failure, distinctly before the mind of the visitors. These questions will suggest to teachers, the consideration of the more important principles of teaching, of the relative merit of different methods of instruction and discipline as well as different forms of school organization. They will also be found very convenient to committees in examining candidates for the office of teacher. Read by parents, they will enable them to question their own children at home, as to the manner in which they are taught at school. Mr. Barnard, in drawing up these inquiries, has availed him self of a set of questions prepared for the examination of can |