THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE LEVANT

Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey through Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, Greece, and Turkey, with Visits to the Islands of Rhodes and Cyprus, and the Site of Ancient Troy. Illustrated. Square 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $3.00.

THE "BOY TRAVELLERS" SERIES

Copiously Illustrated. Square 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $3.00 per volume.

ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS—

IN SOUTHERN EUROPE.

IN CENTRAL EUROPE.

IN NORTHERN EUROPE.

IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

IN MEXICO.

IN AUSTRALASIA.

ON THE CONGO.

IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

IN SOUTH AMERICA.

IN CENTRAL AFRICA.

IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE.

IN CEYLON AND INDIA.

IN SIAM AND JAVA.

IN JAPAN AND CHINA.

OTHER BOOKS BY COLONEL KNOX:

Hunting Adventures on Land and Sea

2 vols. Copiously Illustrated. Square 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2.50 each.

THE YOUNG NIMRODS IN NORTH AMERICA.

THE YOUNG NIMRODS AROUND THE WORLD.

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

☞ The above works are for sale by all booksellers, or will be sent by the publishers, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, Canada, or Mexico, on receipt of the price.

A Request.—Readers of Harper's Round Table will please mention the paper when answering advertisements contained therein.

This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject, besides inquiries regarding the League of American Wheelmen, so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Bicycling Department.

The map this week marks out one of the several different ways of going from New York to Stamford, Connecticut, or any of the points along the way. A good ride for an ordinary bicycle-rider who is not out to cover distance, but wants to reach a certain point, stop for dinner and return, is to go from Fifty-ninth Street to Portchester, which is about twenty-five miles, making in all a fifty-mile run. This route may be extended if the rider is looking for a longer distance, as far as Stamford, which is perhaps about thirty-two miles from 110th Street. The road is an uncomfortable one to ride over until the rider is well out of the city, but after that it is reasonably good, except for the hills before going into New Rochelle, and before going into Mamaroneck.

The rider should enter Central Park at Fifty-ninth Street and Eighth Avenue; thence diagonally over to the Eastern Drive, leaving the Park at its northern end; up Lenox Avenue to 128th Street; then east to Third Avenue, and then across the Third Avenue Bridge. Half a block north of the bridge turn to the right on the southern Boulevard; follow the southern Boulevard east to Union Avenue, something more than a mile, with Belgian block pavement all the way. At Union Avenue it is well to leave the southern Boulevard, because the macadamized road is so full of holes, and otherwise in very bad condition. Go on Union Avenue about one-half mile north over mud ruts, and come out upon Westchester Avenue. Here the rider has sixteen blocks of Belgian block pavement eastward. After this comes a badly macadamized road, which has several descents and short sharp hills for about three blocks to Fox Street; thence go on a fairly good road, improving all the way, to the village of West Farms, where you cross the Bronx River and come out on the old Boston Post Road. From here the road is macadamized and is very good, and the rider should keep to it all the way to Stamford. Or he may turn right just out of Bronxdale and go down to New Rochelle through Westchester, Baychester, etc. In either case the road is the same after leaving New Rochelle.

There are many little hills between Pelham Bridge and New Rochelle, the longest being in Neptune Park, just south of New Rochelle village. The road is macadamized and in excellent order. There is a steep descent about four blocks long as you approach Larchmont Manor, with a corresponding hill to climb as you enter the village. There are three hills, each about three blocks long, between Larchmont Manor and Mamaroneck, the road being macadamized all the way. North of Mamaroneck the road is macadamized and kept in excellent condition as far as Rye. The road from Rye, thence around the north of Portchester, thence to bridge at Bryan River, sharp turn to right here, and thence to Greenwich, is a well-kept macadam. The rider may stop at Greenwich, if he choose, but the run to Stamford to the north of Coscob at the head of Coscob Bay is a good one. The country is rolling rather than hilly. There are no specially steep hills in this district.

At New Rochelle a stop may be made at the Hugenot House, after a run of fourteen miles. By taking the turn to the right indicated on the map just before entering Portchester, instead of turning sharp to the left and following the bicycle route, the rider may run into Portchester and stop at the Irving or the West End Hotel, while at Stamford the Stamford House is in the centre of the town, and furnishes a suitable stopping-place for the end of the journey.

Note.—Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810.

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.

Since the finding of the variety in the twelve-cent stamp of the United States, illustrated a short time ago, the collectors have been industriously seeking for varieties in the other values in the same series, and not without results, as two varieties are now mentioned in other stamps, one of them being the seven-cent of the 1872 issue, and the other in the current two-cent stamp.

The first variety discovered is shown in the accompanying illustrations, these showing the lower left-hand corners of the seven-cent stamp. In Fig. 2 a very fine line will be noticed around the two points of the bulb, these being absent in the other variety. As the seven-cent stamp is somewhat scarce, young collectors will hardly be in a position to sort a number over to look for the variety.

The other variety which has been found is shown in the two cuts given, these representing the triangular ornaments in the upper corners of the current two-cent stamps. In the ordinary or common variety the lines run across the ornaments, while in the new variety the lines stop at the frame of the triangles, thus causing them to show clearer. As there are a great number of plates used for printing the two-cent values, the new variety will probably be found in profusion, and it is interesting to hunt for them.

A recent despatch from Washington stated that the Attorney-General had given it as his opinion that foreign postage-stamps were securities, and therefore came under the law in relation to counterfeiting. This opinion, it would seem, would stop the using of stamp cuts of any kind in this country, but the publishers have as yet taken no notice of the matter.

The four, five, and fifteen cent values of the United States 1890 issue have been found in an unperforated state.

In the first issue of United States envelopes, in giving the various dies of the three-cent value the catalogue gives the width of the labels in millimetres as showing the dies. The label is the space at top of stamp enclosing the word "Three," and in measuring you take from each side of the label, in some dies the label being curved, and in some it is straight on the ends.

Louis A. Dyar.—There is no half-penny English postage stamp of a dark blue color. A complete catalogue of all stamps can be had of any dealer for about fifty cents. All English stamps issued between 1858 and 1887 had letters in the corners. The first stamp on the sheet was lettered A. B. in the upper corners, B. A. in the lower corners. The next stamp was lettered A. C. in the upper, C. A. in the lower, and so on. In addition each plate had a separate number.

R. F. J.—We cannot give addresses in this column. Apply to any stamp dealer if you do not find a satisfactory advertisement in the advertising columns of this paper.

F. Smith.—The two stamps described by you are very rare Confederate locals. The New Orleans is worth from $2 to $5, according to the color of the ink and paper. You do not describe it sufficiently to determine whether it is the regular issue or one of the red on blue paper. The other stamp is the Mobile black, sold by dealers at $40 each. You are to be congratulated.

A. K.—Yes. All United States stamps are increasing in value.

K. C. B.—The 1838, 1845, 1847 United States cents are sold by dealers at from five to fifteen cents each, according to condition. There is one 1838 cent in which this date is struck over the date 1836. That is a rare coin, and is worth $6.

Fred. W. Coon.—The Cape of Good Hope stamps made in 1861 are woodcuts made for an emergency. The one penny blue and fourpenny red of this issue are "errors," and are worth $250 each.

Albert Currier.—The value of the two locals which are catalogued at $35 and $20 respectively, which you wish to sell, depends largely on their condition. This department cannot tell what a dealer ought to give for them. If one dealer will not buy at your price, perhaps another will, but remember dealers expect to, and, in fact, must make a profit.

M. B. W.—The United States Internal Revenue stamps on the back of old photographs have no value as a rule. Many millions were used every year for a long time. This is especially true of the one-cent stamps, except the one marked Playing Cards.