Dr. Pickering, of the United States Antarctic Expedition of 1839, being in the vicinity of the Andes, attempted the ascent of one of the summits; by noon he had reached a high elevation, and looking up, he espied a huge condor soaring down the valley. He stopped to observe the majestic bird as it sailed slowly along. To his surprise it took a turn around him, then a second and a third, the last time drawing so near that he began to apprehend that it meditated an attack. He describes himself as being in the worst possible condition for a fight, his strength being exhausted by climbing, and his right hand having been lamed for some days from a hurt. The nature of the ground, too, was anything but favourable for defence; but there was nothing left but to prepare for a fight, and with this intent he took a seat and drew his knife. At the instant, as if intimidated by the sight of the weapon, the bird whirled off in another direction. Dr. Pickering confessed, however humiliating the acknowledgment, that he was at the time very well satisfied with the condor's determination to let him alone. COST OF SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN'S CHURCHES. The following is an account of what the undermentioned churches cost building, the designs for which were furnished by Sir Christopher Wren:-- L s. d. St. Paul's 736,752 2 3-1/4 Allhallows the Great 5,641 9 9 ---- Bread-street 3,348 7 2 ---- Lombard-street 8,058 15 6 St. Alban's, Wood-street 3,165 0 8 St. Anne and Agnes 2,448 0 10 St. Andrew's, Wardrobe 7,060 16 11 ---- Holborn 9,000 0 0 St. Antholin's 5,685 5 10-3/4 St. Austin's 3,145 3 10 St. Benet, Grailchurch 3,583 9 5-1/4 ---- Paul's Wharf 3,328 18 10 ---- Fink 4,129 16 10 St. Bride's 11,430 5 11 St. Bartholomew's 5,077 1 1 Christ Church 11,778 9 6 St. Clement, Eastcheap 4,365 3 4-1/2 ---- Danes 8,786 17 0-1/2 St. Dionis Back Church 5,737 10 8 St. Edmund the King 5,207 11 0 St. George, Botolph-lane 4,509 4 10 St. James, Garlick-hill 5,357 12 10 ---- Westminster 8,500 0 0 St. Lawrence, Jewry 11,872 1 9 St. Michael, Basinghall 2,822 17 1 ---- Royal 7,455 7 9 St. Michael, Queenhithe 4,354 3 8 ---- Wood-street 2,554 2 11 ---- Crooked-lane 4,641 5 11 ---- Cornhill 4,686 5 11 St. Martin, Ludgate 5,378 18 8 St. Matthew, Friday-str 2,301 8 2 St. Margaret Pattens 4,986 10 4 ---- Lothbury 5,340 8 1 St. Mary, Abchurch 4,922 2 4-1/2 ---- Magdalen 4,291 12 9-1/4 ---- Somerset 6,579 18 1-1/4