―281―

―282―

―283―

CHRONICLE.

BY the census which has been
taken of the village of Troy, in the
state of New York, in conformity
to a late act of the legislature, it ap-
pears that there are 3352 inhabi-
tants resident in the village, exclu-
sive of those in the residue of the
town of Troy. A census taken in
the latter part of February, 1806,
made the number 2955. This
gives an increase of 397 in the
short period of 17 months! The
increase of business, of the number
of buildings, improvements, &c.,
keeps pace with the population.

The following account of deaths
and other losses in the family of
Capt. David Smith, of Portland, is
a striking proof of the truth of the
observation of Job, that “man that
is born of a woman, is of few days
and full of trouble.” In the year
1783, his son, Moses Smith, died
at the West Indies, aged 22. In
1789, his daughter, Mary Smith,
died at Portland, aged 19. In
1797 and 1798 he lost one ship,
one schooner, and part of a brig,
with all the trading stock he then
possessed. October 15, 1803, his
son, Godfrey Smith, died on his
passage from Liverpool to Port-
land, aged 20. February 14, 1804,
his son, David Smith, died at Ja-
maica, aged 30. At the same time
and place, the schr. Friendship

was wrecked, being the only vessel
he then had at sea. March 13,
1804, his son, Lendal Smith, died
at Portland, aged 32. July 10, 1805,
his store took fire, and was con-
sumed, with the property that was
in it, valued at 3000 dollars. Au-
gust 11, 1805, his wife died, aged
58. At the same time his daugh-
ter, Ruthy Boyd died, aged 36.
October 15, 1806, his daughter,
Hannah Day, died, aged 30. Sep-
tember 29, 1807, his daughter,
Dolly Taylor, died, aged 25.
Within the above nineteen years,
he has also experienced a variety
of other smaller losses.

The supply of the city of Phila-
delphia with fuel is a subject that
has at different periods occupied
much attention.

The city and liberties contain
about 14,000 families, or about
100,000 souls. Divide these into
three parts: the rich, the middling,
and the poor; the first and third
are about equal in number to the
second, burning in about the pro-
portion of 30, 15, and 5 cords of
wood per annum, making the whole
quantity consumed in a year by
them amount to about 250,000
cords; add to which the wood used
by the brick-kilns, public offices,
counting-houses, breweries, hospi-
tal, bettering-house, jail, churches,

―284―

school-houses, water-works, and
manufactories of various kinds,
&c., about 50,000 cords: making
in all about 300,000 cords of wood
annually burned in the city and li-
berties.

On an average, estimating coal
at the ratio of wood, the whole
supply of fuel we will suppose to
cost at the wharf, the hauling,
sawing, and piling, about six dol-
lars per cord, making the whole
cost yearly 1,800,000 dollars.
230,000 cords are burnt in winter,
70,000 in summer. Nearly the
whole quantity may be brought
in summer, and all the labour of
piling, cutting, and hauling to fa-
milies be performed by the poor
in winter, when one dollar will be
worth more than two or three in
summer.

The wood, when standing, costs
300,000; cutting and cording,
hauling to landing, freight to the
city, discharging, hauling to fami-
lies, sawing, piling, wharfage, &c.,
makes up the differences in cost
when on the fire, 1,500,000 dol-
lars.

According to the present plan
of supply, it keeps constantly em-
ployed, or in that proportion,
3000 men to cut down the wood
and cord it; 1300 waggons,
5200 horses, and 2600 men to
haul it to the landings; 600 shal-
lops, 2400 men to load, manage
the vessels, and unload at the city;
600 occupied in assisting in vari-
ous ways about the wharf: to haul
from the wharves 500 carts, two
horses to each, 1000; 500 dri-
vers; 200 additional pilers at
houses; 800 sawyers.

6000 horses; 2000 waggons
and carts; 600 shallops; and 9000
men: to apply all these to pro-
duce the greatest possible amount
of useful labour should be our
study.

On the labour of these 9000
men are dependent for support
from 30 to 40,000 souls; gene-
rally speaking, the labouring or
poorer classes are employed in
this branch of industry. Those
9000 men, with horses, &c., pro-
duce labour that is valued at
1,500,000 dollars, the difference
between the original cost of the
wood and the market price.

In addition to all this, house-
keepers have to lose at least six
months interest on the money laid
out on an average for the year,
which on the whole sum amounts
to about 50,000 dollars, nearly as
much as is expended by law upon
the poor.

Since the adoption and esta-
blishment of the federal govern-
ment, great and numerous works
of public utility have been under-
taken and completed in the United
States: works which depended
on a laudable spirit of enterprize,
as well as the expence of vast sums
of money. At the period men-
tioned, the river Connecticut, from
its head to its mouth (excepting
fording places at low water in mid-
summer and autumn) was passa-
ble only by ferry boats, and those
for the most part miserably attend-
ed. As a specimen of the pro-
gress of improvements in New
England, we give the following
list of bridges, built within a few
years, over Connecticut river, viz.

New Hampshire. Vermont. Between the towns of
Northumberland and	Guildhall	1
Lancaster	Guildhall	1
Haverhill	Newbury	3
Orford	Fairlee	1
Hanover	Norwich	1
Lebanon	Hartford	1
Cornish	Windsor	1
Charleston	Springfield	1
Walpole	Rockingham	1
	―285―
Chesterfield	Brattlebro'	1

The bridge between Hatfield
and Hadley will, we are informed,
be finished during the present sea-
son, as much the heaviest part of
the work is already accomplished.
When this shall be completed, we
may reckon 15 useful edifices,
many of which combine strength
and beauty.

The glass-house established on
the Potowmac, near the commis-
sioners-wharf, in the city of Wash-
ington, will go into operation some
time in February next.

The secretary of war has re-
ceived from New Orleans two
grisly bears. They are, as their
names indicate, of a grey colour,
and in their native woods grow to
an immense size, it is said so as
to weigh 7 or 800 weight; they are
then extremely fierce. The ani-
mals sent to gen. Dearborn were
caught when very young, and are
now perfectly tame. Grisly bears
are so fierce and formidable that
the Indians never attack them, ex-
cept in large companies; in which
case generally one or more of
them become a sacrifice to their
temerity. Governor Lewis, when
in the Missouri country, was pur-
sued by a grisly bear, and to save
himself dashed into the river,
where he remained up to his neck
in water; while the Bear, unable
to pursue him, (for one of the pe-
culiarities of this species is an in-
capability of taking the water)
remained growling for some time
on the bank; at last it retired to
the woods, and left our distinguish-
ed traveller rejoicing at his ability
to rejoin his companions. These
bears are considered as great cu-

riosities, and are to be sent to
Peale's museum in Philadelphia,
for the inspection of the curious.

The whole debt of the United
States on the 1st of Jan. 1807,
was 67,727,756 dollars.

In a period of twenty years the
population of this country has in-
creased nearly 3,000,000.

The dwelling houses have in
the same period increased from
640,000 to 1,225,000.

The improved lands have risen
from 1,120,000 to 2,390,400 acres.

The average price per acre has
risen from two to six dollars.

The number of horses have in-
creased from 600,000 to 1,200,000,
and the horned cattle from
1,200,000 to 2,950,000.

The merchant vessels have
increased from 250,000 to
1,207,000.

The imports have risen from
11 to 80 millions of dollars.

The exports of domestic pro-
duce have increased from 9 to
42 millions.

And the exports of foreign
goods from 1 to 36 millions.

The national revenues had in-
creased in a period of twelve years
from 8 to nearly 17 millions of
dollars, while the expenditures,
making an allowance for the ex-
tinguishment of the principal of
the debt, have been nearly station-
ary.

The specie in circulation has
risen in the period of twenty
years from 10 to 17 millions.

George Lockyer, late master of
the Argo, with due deference,
conceives it a duty he owes the
public, and especially his fellow
mariners, to expose unreservedly
the loss of said ship. At the pe-
riod the Argo sailed from Phila-
delphia, the only chart to be had
of Providence channel was one

―286―

of the authenticity of which capt.
Lockyer entertained no manner of
doubt, but on the contrary placed
implicit confidence in it Judge,
however, of its authenticity, when
at the moment the Argo struck,
and ran upon a reef of coral, she
was distant, agreeably to this false
and treacherous guide, at least
three leagues from the nearest part
of Little Isaac reef, and but a few
minutes before was in 10 fathoms
water, the Little Isaac rock just
descried from the foretop mast
head, in a clear atmosphere and
unclouded sky, bearing W. ½ S.,
and distant 4 leagues. Yet by the
same chart you have bold water
even close to the Little Isaac
rock, when bearing W. Again,
by this chart, the most distant part
of Isaac reef from Little Isaac
rock, in a S. E. direction, does
not exceed 4 miles. But whether
the Argo ran upon the eastern ex-
tremity of Isaac reef, or upon a
detached reef of coral, is cer-
tainly very doubtful.

Augustine, Feb. 3, 1807.——Ar-
rived in this place, in a deplor-
able condition, Mrs. Mary Jordan,
who with her husband and six
children were in January last car-
ried away captives by the Indians.
Mrs. Jordan has furnished the fol-
lowing melancholy account of the
massacre of her husband and chil-
dren, and of her own sufferings,
while with the savages.

On the night of the 22d Janu-
ary, 1807, we were suddenly awak-
ened from slumber by the hideous
yells of savages, who, before we
could put ourselves in a situation
to oppose them, succeeded in
forcing the doors of the house.
They were to the number of forty
or fifty, frightfully painted, and
armed with tomahawks and scalp-
ing knives. My husband met

them at the door, and in their own
tongue asked them what they
wanted. “The scalps of your fa-
mily!” was their answer. My
husband intreated them to have
compassion on me and his inno-
cent children, but his intreaties
availed nothing; we were drag-
ged naked out of the house, and
tied severally with cords. By or-
der of one who appeared to be the
chief, about 20 of the Indians
took charge of us, who were order-
ed to conduct us with all possible
dispatch to their settlement (about
200 miles distant) while the re-
mainder were left to pillage and
fire the house. We commenced
our journey about midnight,
through an uncultivated wilder-
ness, at the rate of nearly seven
miles an hour. If either of us
through fatigue slackened our
pace, we were most inhumanly beat
and threatened with instant death.

After a tedious travel of more
than forty miles, the savages halt-
ed in a swamp; here for the first
time from the time of our depar-
ture we were permitted to lie
down; the Indians kindled a fire
on which they broiled some bear's
flesh, of which they allowed us but
a small portion.

After they had refreshed them-
selves and extinguished their fire,
we were again compelled to pur-
sue our journey. We travelled
until sunset, when the Indians
again halted, and began to prepare
a covering for themselves for the
night. My poor children com-
plained much of their feet being
swollen, but I was not permitted
to give them any relief, nor was
their father allowed to discourse
with them. As night approached
we shook each other by the hand,
expecting never again to witness
the rising of the sun. Contrary

―287―

to our expectations, however, we
had a tolerable night's rest, and on
the succeeding day, though naked
and half starved, travelled with
much more ease than on the pre-
ceding one. The Indians occa-
sionally allowed us a little raw
food, sufficient only to keep us
alive. We this day travelled,
according to the reckoning of
the Indians, nearly forty miles,
and were about sun-set joined by
the remaining savages who were
left behind; they were loaded
with the spoils of my husband's
property. Among other arti-
cles, they found a keg of spirits,
of which they had drank plenti-
fully. As they became intoxi-
cated, they exercised the more
cruelty towards us: they beat
my poor children so unmercifully
that they were unable to stand
on their feet the ensuing morn-
ing. The Indians attributed
their inability to wilfulness, and
again renewed their acts of bar-
barity, beating them with clubs,
cutting and gashing them with
their knives, and scorching their
naked bodies with brands of fire.
Finding that their hellish plans
had no other effect than to render
the poor unhappy sufferers less
enabled to travel, they came to the
resolution to butcher them on the
spot.

Six holes were dug in the
earth, of about five feet in depth,
around each of which some
dried branches of trees were
placed. My husband, at this mo-
ment, filled with horror at what
he expected was about to take
place, broke the rope with which
he was bound, and attempted to
escape from the hands of the un-
merciful cannibals; he was how-
ever, closely pursued, soon over-
taken, and brought back. As he
passed me, he cast his eyes to-

wards me and fainted. In this
situation he was placed erect in
one of the holes. The woods
now resounded with the heart-
piercing cries of my poor chil-
dren; “Spare, O spare my
father!” was their cry; “Have
mercy on my poor children!”
was the cry of their father. It
availed nothing; my dear chil-
dren were all placed in a situation
similar to that of their father; the
youngest (only 9 years old) broke
from them, and ran up to me,
crying, “Don't, mammy, pray
don't let them kill me!”

Alas, O Heavens! what could
I do? In vain did I beg of them
to let me take my dear child's
place; by force it was torn from
me, in an hour when I could af-
ford it no protection.

Having placed the poor un-
fortunate victims in the manner
above described, they secured
them in a standing position by
replacing the earth, which buried
them nearly to their necks.

The inhuman wretches now
began their hideous pow-wows,
dancing to and fro around the vic-
tims of their torture, which they
continued about half an hour,
when they communicated fire to
the fatal piles. Heaven only
knows what my feelings were at
this moment! As the flames in-
creased, the shrieks and dying
groans of my poor family were
heightened. Thank Heaven,
their sufferings were of short du-
ration; in less than a quarter of
an hour from the time the fire
was first communicated, their
cries ceased; they sunk into the
arms of their kind deliverer.

The callous-hearted wretches,
having sufficiently feasted their
eyes with the agonies of the un-
fortunate sufferers, retired to
regale themselves with what li-

―288―

quor remained; they drank
freely, and soon became stu-
pid and senseless; with one of
their tomahawks I might with
ease have dispatched them all,
but my only desire was to flee
from them as quick as possible.
I succeeded with difficulty in libe-
rating myself, by cutting the cord
with which I was bound, on
which I bent my course for this
place. A piece of bear's flesh I
fortunately found in one of the
Indian's packs served me for
food. I travelled only by night, in
the day time concealing myself
in thick swamps, or hollow trees.
A party of Indians passed within
a few rods of the place of my
concealment the second day after
my departure, but did not dis-
cover me; they were undoubt-
edly of the same party from
whom I had escaped, in pursuit
of me. Two days after I was
met by an Indian of the Shawa-
nese nation; he proved friendly,
and conducted me to a white
settlement: without his assist-
ance I must have again fallen
into the hands of my savage
foes.

Meterological observations for the
month of June, at Charleston,
S. C.

Extract of a letter from Thomas
Horsefield, M. D., formerly re-

sident physician of the Pennsyl-
vania hospital, to his friend in
Philadelphia, dated
Surrabaga, north-east coast of
Java, February 10, 1807.

During the last rainy season,
I remained at this place, and in
the month of April commenced
my tour through the eastern
provinces of Java. Having tra-
versed several extensive provin-
ces, I arrived, in July, at Banjoo
Wangi, the chief place of Blam-
bangan, the most eastwardly pro-
vince of this island: the western
parts of Blambangan are desart
and almost uninhabited, and a
traveller has a route of two days
through an extensive forest, with
only one intervening Javanese
village, where he may pass the
night; but the eastern extremity
is a beautiful and fertile country,
and several very handsome set-
tlements are made here, of which
Banjoo Wangi is the chief, the
environs of which afforded me
a large scope for the prosecution
of my botanical researches, &c.
The celebrated bohon upas, al-
most generally known, by the
fictitious and exaggerated ac-
counts that have been published
of it, grows here; I have col-
lected its poison, and made a
number of experiments with it,
which I shall communicate to
my medical friends as soon as
my other engagements will ad-
mit. In the vicinity of Banjoo
Wangi, I made an extensive col-
lection of plants and animals,
but in the beginning of Septem-
ber, being ready to return, I was
attacked by the bilious intermit-
ting fever of the country, which
detained me above a month, in
consequence of which I lost the
opportunity of returning to Ba-
tavia before the commencement
of the rainy season, and am com-

―289―

pelled to wait its termination at
Surrabaga. This place is fre-
quently touched at by vessels pass-
ing through the straits of Bali.

Wiscasset (Maine), June 17.
——A shock of an earthquake was
sensibly felt in this town on
Thursday morning last.

A camp meeting was held in
Salem county, New Jersey, from
the 18th to the 22d of June, under
the direction of the methodists,
which was attended by eleven
travelling, and seventeen local
preachers, twelve exhorters, and
by about 6 or 7000 people, par-
ticularly on the Sabbath. During
the course of the exercises, an
awful solemnity pervaded the as-
sembly, and the power of the
Lord was eminently displayed in
the awakening, convicting, and
converting of nearly 200 souls.
The meeting was conducted with
great regularity and decency, and
the people in general merit much
praise for their serious attention
and decorous behaviour.

A camp meeting will be held
on Staten island, near the New
Blazing Star ferry, to commence
on Tuesday, the 28th of July, and
continue four days, under the di-
rection of the ministers of the
methodist episcopal church.

Another camp-meeting, under
the same superintendance, will
commence at New-Mills, Burling-
ton county, on Thursday the 20th
of August, and continue until the
Monday following.

Haverhill, Mass., June 17
1806.——Yesterday (Monday, June
16th), the remarkable phenome-
non, the great solar eclipse, was
observed in this town. Such an
eclipse has not taken place since
the first settlement of New Eng-
land, and but few do we find re-

corded in the annals of astro-
nomy. The most remarkable
eclipse previous to this was observ-
ed at Boston, June 24th, 1778,
when the sun was eleven digits
eclipsed; undoubtedly many now
living can remember it, it being
four days before the Monmouth
battle. In the year 1808, April
19th, there will be a small eclipse
about two digits. In the year
1809, April 14th, there will be
another, three digits at Boston.
In the year 1811, September 17th,
a large eclipse may be expected,
of ten digits, between twelve and
one o'clock P. M. and end at four.

In the year 1820 another great
eclipse will happen at London,
about ten digits. It will be no
more visible till 1874, when five
digits will be obscured. In 1928
the passage of the centre will be
in the expansum, and two digits
eclipsed at London, October 21st;
and about the year 2090 the
whole penumbra will be worn off,
whence no more returns of this
eclipse will happen for 10,000
years. From these remarks we
gather, that a thousand years will
complete the whole terrestrial
phenomena of any single eclipse.

Eclipses among the ancients
were considered as disastrous, and
as indications of some revolution
in physical things; but, thanks to
the progress of science, whilst we
are exempted from the slavery of
superstition, we are enabled to
predict them with certainty, point
out the causes of their aspects,
and period of their return.

The following are the result of
meteorological observations, taken
during the eclipse of yesterday, on
an eminence, from Fahrenheit's
scale, placed in the sun, on the
south side of a brick wall.

―290―

A nightly chill was perceptible;
the thermometer sunk from 92 to
62 degrees. The appearance re-
presented a black patch in the fir-
mament.

Richmond, June 27.——The grand
jury has this day found four true
bills; two against Aaron Burr for
treason and misdemeanor; and
two of the same tenor against
Blannerhasset.

A long and animated discussion
ensued on a motion to commit
Mr. Burr to the custody of the
marshal, which was decided, for
that night, in the affirmative. He
was consequently committed to
jail for that night.

Port au Prince, July 5.——
The brave, unfortunate Hosier
came out here with the com-
mand of a small armed schooner,
in the employ of the concern Holt
is agent for; and, after performing
almost miracles in escaping pri-
vateers, on his passage out, he was
taken by two of them, of much
superior force, going from this to

Jeremie, after gallantly defending
himself for seven hours and a half.
Provoked at his determined resist-
ance, after they had succeeded in
boarding him, although he had re-
ceived three very bad wounds in
the action, the ruffians had the sa-
vage inhumanity to seize him, cut
off both his hands, cut and disfi-
gure his face, and then throw him
overboard, where of course he
perished. To comment on so
shocking a tale would be super-
fluous. His poor wife and poor
children are left entirely destitute;
and as to my poor Mrs. Grant, I
hardly think she will recover it.
The few remains of the crew
were carried to Cuba, half of them
wounded; where the greater part
of them would, in all probability,
have perished, but for the huma-
nity of the American consul, who
stepped forward to save them,
paid all expences, gave them
chirurgical aid, and finally got
them passages down here, uncer-
tain whether he should ever be re-
paid.

There has been a subscription
raised here for captain Hosier's
widow. The few English and
Americans have already subscrib-
ed upwards of one thousand dol-
lars; and Holt has addressed the
senate in her behalf. We have no
doubt but they will do something
handsome, and, with the natives,
will make up a sum of 500l.

It is remarkable that captain
Hosier's father perished in the
same cruel manner. After being
boarded, the barbarians stabbed
him with his own sword.

Natchitoches, July 2.——Captain
Pike, Dr. Robinson, and six men
of their party, arrived here on the
evening of the 30th ult. They
left St. Louis the 15th July last,
ascended the Missouri, were at the

―291―

Osage and Panis republic nations,
from thence crossed over to the
Arkansas, explored that river to
its source, which they found inter-
locked with some branches of the
river Grande, where they fell in
with a party of Spanish soldiers,
who heard of, and were in search
of them, by whom they were con-
ducted to Santa Fe, Chewawa,
Montelova, St. Antonia, Nacog-
doches, &c. From the notes they
have in their possession, no doubt
they will be able to make impor-
tant communications.

Charleston, July 6.——In conse-
quence of some improprieties in
the streets by some of the unruly
inhabitants of Charleston, the in-
tendant issued the following ad-
dress to the inhabitants:

“Whereas I have received in-
formation, that there are just
grounds to suppose that acts of
violence and disorder may be com-
mitted against divers inhabitants
of this city, by some persons un-
der the influence of mistaken zeal
and inconsiderate ardour in the
cause of their country; and where-
as, whilst we are crying aloud for
vengeance upon the head of those
who, in the wanton exercise of
power, have violated the laws of
justice and the feelings of huma-
nity, it ill becomes us to molest a
small number of individuals, con-
fiding in our hospitality and pro-
tection, and who have a right, un-
der our constitution and laws, to
be secure in their persons and pro-
perties; and whereas the honour
of our government, and the dic-
tates of generosity, of manliness,
and of sound policy forbid us,
even if we have enemies amongst
us, to attack them, when, from the
paucity of their numbers, and
their defenceless condition, they
are incapable of resistance; and

whereas any unauthorized and
illegal exercise of power is des-
tructive of the peace and harmony
of society, productive of incalcula-
ble evils to individuals, and may
ultimately terminate in the sub-
version of the rights and liberties
we enjoy under our constitution,
which we are so anxious to pre-
serve pure and unsullied,

“Now, therefore, I do, by and
with the advice and consent of the
city council of Charleston, advise
and admonish the inhabitants of
this city to observe peace and
good order within the same, and
to refrain from molesting the per-
sons and properties of all within
its limits.

By the intendant.

At a meeting of the masters of
vessels at Charleston, on the 10th
instant, they agreed to address
the president of the United States,
offering to their country their pro-
fessional service, in any way that
may be deemed most useful; and
their assurances that they are at
all times ready to sacrifice their
lives and property in avenging any
indignities offered their country,
and in supporting our just rights
as an independent nation.

A very short time since captain
Chauncey returned from a voyage
to the East Indies, which under a
furlough he had made as a pri-
vate citizen. On the passage
home, in the Indian ocean, he was
brought to by a British ship of
war of sixty-four guns, and a lieu-
tenant and ten or twelve men sent
on board his ship. The British
officer, an impertinent puppy,
without saluting captain Chaun-
cey, as a person having any pre-

―292―

tensions to gentility would have
done, immediately ordered one of
his men to stand by the helm.
Captain Chauncey, justly offended,
told his sailor to knock down any
man who attempted to take his
place, without his, Chauncey's,
order. The attempt was made,
and the English sailor, by pros-
tration, paid his tribute of venera-
tion to the nerve of the Yankee.
The lieutenant now ripped out as
many handsome oaths as a person
could wish, and advanced to take
the helm himself; Chauncey step-
ped before him, and, upon the
Englishman's laying his hand up-
on it, seized him by the scruff of
the neck, and threw him overboard
in the boat. Upon this the lieu-
tenant and his men went off, and
captain Chauncey was presently
boarded by sixty or seventy men,
among them the first officer of
“his majesty's ship,” who abused
captain Chauncey in words not a
little, for his treatment to the lieu-
tenant; who replied, I treated the
puppy as he deserved. He either
did not know his duty and the
manners of a gentleman, or would
not exercise them. You have now
a superior force on board the ship;
do what you please. Captain
Chauncey then went on board the
man of war, where he received
some more compliments from the
commodore, to which he replied
in the same manner; without giv-
ing way one inch to that haughty
spirit which characterizes too
many of the officers of the British
navy. This spirit probably pre-
served him from the effects of their
violence, and he was dismissed as
the d——est obstinate Yankee ras-
cal they had ever met with, with-
out their knowing him as any
thing else than the master of a
common East Indiaman.

Previous to leaving the British
ship, captain Chauncey very lei-
surely took a memorandum of the
officers' names who had insulted
him, saying, Perhaps I may come
athwart you some day, when you
shall know who and what I am.

Richmond, July 7.——Between
the hours of eleven and twelve,
an old man, of the name of Ashley,
was riding up the brick row; when
a little above the Bell tavern he
was hailed by the city patrol; but
either not hearing, or by his horse
taking fright, or from some other
cause, he rode on without an-
swering. The serjeant of the pa-
trol immediately fired, but his gun
flashed; another of the company,
a young man by the name of
Compton, an assistant in an apo-
thecary's store, then fired, and
shot Ashley a little below the hip.
He fell from his horse, and was
carried to the Cage. Next morn-
ing he was carried to the poor
house, where he died a few hours
afterwards.

Mr. Compton surrendered him-
self to a city magistrate, and gave
bail, himself in 500 dollars, and
two securities of 150 dollars each,
to appear before court next Thurs-
day.

Charleston, July 9.——A jury of
inquest was held yesterday fore-
noon at James island, on the body
of Thomas Thackham (late depu-
ty sheriff of this city), who was
unfortunately shot by William
Godber, on Monday evening, be-
tween eight and nine o'clock, and
in whose employ he lived as an
overseer. It appeared to the co-
roner and jurors that the distance
between them could not have been
more than nine or ten feet; but
how the quarrel arose is not yet
known, as no other person was
present at the shocking and me-

―293―

lancholy catastrophe, therefore
little evidence could be obtained,
and William Godber having ab-
sconded, in consequence of the
said deed he had committed.
The jury brought in a verdict
that the deceased Thomas Thack-
ham came to his death by being
shot in the back, just below the
left shoulder-blade, with a musket
charged with high duck shot, of
which he died instantly, said to be
perpetrated by William Godber,
in his piazza, at his house on
James island, on Monday evening,
between eight and nine o'clock.

Lately the frame of a house be-
longing to Major Clap, of Wo-
burn, was raised, and, when near-
ly completed, the whole fell, and
killed two persons immediately on
the spot; one died the night fol-
lowing; sixteen were wounded;
some, it is feared, mortally. The
persons killed were Messrs. Sa-
muel Wright, Joshua Richardson,
and John Lynman.

Portland, July 12.——A melan-
choly event took place last night,
between twelve and one o'clock.
Captain Adams, in the schooner
Charles, with eighteen passengers
on board, from Boston, bound to
this port, running in nearer than
he was aware (there being a thick
fog) struck upon a reef of rocks a
little to the westward of the light-
house; the vessel was immediate-
ly thrown on her beam ends by
the force of the sea, and bilged.
The passengers immediately run-
ning on deck, were almost as soon
swept off by the sea making a
continual breach over it. The
captain with three men got on
shore about two o'clock; but he,
overcome by the shrieks of his
wife and passengers, attempted to
get on board again, but failed, and
was heard to say, “I am gone,”

and was lost in the destructive
element. One of the men (Sid-
ney Thaxter) arrived here about
nine o'clock this morning; he
says, when he left the wreck, there
were six persons holding fast on the
shrouds, four men, one woman,
and a boy. All the ladies were
lost; of twenty-two persons, six
only are saved, one of whom is
Samuel Richards, left to lament
the untimely death of his wife and
two children. Among the num-
ber drowned also were Mr. Elea-
zer A. Jenks, Mr. Josiah Hayden's
wife and child, miss Lydia Carver,
of Freeport, and miss Richards,
of Dedham.

The following persons perished
by the wreck of the sloop Charles:
captain Adams and wife, Mrs.
Hayden and child, Mrs. Richards
and two children, her mother and
sister, Mrs. White, Mr. E. A.
Jenks, Mr. J. Tandy. The only
bodies found are captain Adams,
Mrs. Hayden, Mrs. White, and
T. Tandy. The persons saved
were Mr. Thaxter, Mr. Williams,
Mrs. Richards, and two or three
whose names are not known. Six-
teen persons are said to have been
drowned. The names of eleven
have been mentioned.

The cargo of the Charles has
been estimated at 20,000 dollars,
of which, it is said, not more than
1000 dollars worth will be saved.

To the Editor of the Richmond
Inquirer.

Having seen, in your paper of
the 19th of May, an account of the
Arlington sheep shearing, and
supposing that my lambs were
fine, I weighed the fleeces of eight
of the choice ewe lambs. The
weights of them so far exceeded
my expectation, that I am induced,

―294―

for the reputation of my neigh-
bourhood, as well as to enhance
the value of my breed of sheep,
and also to make one step towards
exciting a useful emulation among
farmers, to inform you of the
sheep shearing at Mount Airy, my
residence in Carolina. The
weights of fleece and length of
wool were as follows:

Norfolk, July 13.——On Friday
last, brigade orders were issued
for calling into actual service the
following force, viz.: from the
54th regiment 1 lieutenant-colonel,
2 majors, 8 captains, 8 lieutenants,
8 ensigns, 50 non-commissioned
officers and soldiers, together with
the cavalry, artillery, and volun-
teer companies attached to that
regiment. From the 7th regi-
ment 1 major, 4 captains, 4 lieu-
tenants, 4 ensigns, and 200 non-
commissioned officers and soldiers,
with the cavalry and volunteer
corps attached to that regiment,
the whole making about 1200 men.
These troops from Richmond and
Petersburg make a force of about
1600 men, the whole under the
command of brigadier-general
Mathews. It has not been judged
expedient to order more men into

actual service at present. The
remainder of the 7th regiment,
with the regiments of Princess
Anne and Nansemond, are held
to march at a moment's warning.

Official notification of the presi-
dent's proclamation was yester-
day sent down to commodore
Douglass, by lieutenant Ham, in
the revenue cutter. And this
morning the Bellona and Leopard,
the two ships that were in the
roads, got under weigh, and went
down.

New York, July 15.——The pro-
gress of a barbarous people to-
wards civilization must ever be
regarded with interest by an en-
lightened one. As the Sandwich
islands have long occupied a con-
siderable place in our commercial
chart, I presume the following ac-
count of transactions in those is-
lands, so honourable to their sove-
reign and inhabitants, will be
thought interesting to the public;
particularly so when it is remem-
bered that but a few years since
the greatest precautions were ne-
cessary there to insure public safe-
ty; and that a vessel belonging to
this port was cut off, and the cap-
tain and crew were barbarously
murdered.

I arrived at those islands in the
summer of 1804, from the west-
ern coast of this continent, in a
small ship, that had by various
events been rendered so totally
unfit for sea, that, without repairs
impossible to be made in such
circumstances, she could not with
safety proceed any farther. I was
received with great hospitality by
the natives, and was offered, by
their sovereign, Tamaihamaiha,
all the assistance in his power to
give; but as I judged that repair-
ing the ship would be impracticable
for me, I determined to exchange

―295―

her with him for a small vessel
he then had on the stocks, which
he offered me. According to this
agreement, I was entirely in their
power: I landed my cargo, and
stored it in the king's magazines,
with all such articles by agree-
ment as I was to retain, and re-
moved on shore with my officers,
into lodgings prepared by Ta-
maihamaiha for our reception. I
was obliged to leave these islands
before this agreement could be
entirely completed, on account of
the small vessel not being finished,
and left it to be accomplished by
a Mr. Hudson of this place, who
was an officer with me. I have
lately had the satisfaction to learn,
by letters from Mr. Hudson, that
Tamaihamaiha has most honour-
ably fulfilled his agreement in
every particular, besides treating
him in all respects with the kind-
est attention. He often declares
his satisfaction that fortune has
put it in his power to show une-
quivocally the magnanimity and
benevolence of his disposition.
The small vessel in question has
since made a voyage of eight
months to California and back to
the islands, and is at this time en-
gaged on her second voyage.

When it is considered that the
property thus put into the power
of those islanders must have been
regarded by them as of immense
value, a considerable proportion
of it consisting of articles they
well know how to appreciate, such
as cloths, cutlery, muskets, pow-
der, ball, &c., the honest and no-
ble disposition of Tamaihamaiha,
and the good order and subordi-
nation of his people appear to
great advantage. Of my sense of
it, I am happy in thus rendering
him my public testimony.

Philadelphia, July 22.——Infor-
mation having been lodged at the
mayor's office of an intention to
rob the country-house of Mr.
Henry Pratt, on the Schuylkill,
the mayor, with that zeal and
alacrity which have always distin-
guished him as an able officer and
useful citizen, yesterday repaired
to the spot, where he apprehended
the gardener (who is the head of
the combination), and committed
him to jail. It appears that the
scheme of plunder was to be exe-
cuted yesterday evening, and that
every thing was in readiness.
The information through which
it has been frustrated was received
from a man whom the gardener
attempted to corrupt to his pur-
pose.

New York, July 17.——Agreea-
bly to invitation, the governor, se-
cretary at war, the mayor, record-
er, and members of the corpora-
tion, together with a considerable
number of respectable citizens,
attended at Fort Jay, where Mr.
Fulton exhibited and explained
the principles of his machinery
for blowing up ships of war. An
experiment will be made this day
(weather permitting), at half past
two o'clock, on a brig of 200 tons,
which, for the gratification of pub-
lic curiosity, will be moored as
near the city as safety will permit.
As soon as Mr. Fulton shall have
completed his arrangements, a
signal gun will be fired at Fort
Jay, about twenty minutes past
two o'clock, and in ten minutes
after, the experiment will be made.

Monmouth, N. J., July 13.——A
barn, nearly new, on a farm near
Allentown, Monmouth county, be-
longing to John Imlay, Esq., was
burnt by lightning, in a thunder-
storm; seventeen loads of hay,
some grain, a new covered wag-

―296―

gon and harness, the property of
Samuel Hendrickson, the tenant
in possession, were destroyed. A
few years since, a handsome new
two story dwelling-house was ac-
cidentally burnt on the same place.

Montreal, July 24.——There is,
at the present time, a child of
eight years old in this city, who
is undergoing the most wonderful
natural operation which this part
of the world has ever yet seen.
For some time past he has con-
stantly had a complaint in his
head, which has been swelled to
an unusual size. A few weeks
ago he was seized with the most
excruciating pains in that part,
and it was shortly after perceived
that one of his under jaw bones
was detaching itself entire from
the head. In a fortnight, extra-
ordinary as it appears, one of his
under jaw bones did really come
out entire, and the other under
jaw is at this moment forcing out
in the same way. The bone al-
ready out is replaced by a new
one; and it is apparent that ano-
ther bone is forming under that
which is now coming out. The
boy eats very heartily, and, except
when he is in pain, plays about
with his comrades, as if nothing
ailed him. The above may be
depended on as an undoubted fact;
the parents of the boy are very re-
spectable in society, and have
shown the bone to many who have
called on them; and its truth can
be vouched by most of the faculty
in town, some of whom assisted
Dr. Blake in extracting the bone
already out, when it was nearly
detached.

New York, July 31.——On Wed-
nesday morning last, the body of
a young man, genteelly dressed,
was found dead on the shore at
Wheehawk, near the monument

of general Hamilton. Informa-
tion was immediately given to the
coroner of the city of Jersey,
where an inquest was held. On
examination, it appeared that he
had shot himself through the head
with a ball from a large horse pis-
tol, which tore off part of his ear.
His name was J. A. Bertell, a
foreigner, about the age of
twenty years. Two letters were
found in his pocket, one addressed
to the person who might find his
body, the other to a gentleman at
Brooklyn. In these letters he
signifies his intention of destroy-
ing himself; that he was tired of
his life, and could not bear the
idea of his beloved (whom he styles
his Matilda) being in the arms of
another. In one of the letters is
his will, bequeathing two-thirds
of his property to Matilda, and
the remainder to the family of
the gentleman above named.
The letters are dated the 27th
inst., and it is supposed he perpe-
trated the horrid deed on that
day. On Monday afternoon he
was seen near the monument
with a book in his hand, and, on
being observed, drew his hat over
his eyes. The book was found
on the ground by his side, and
was the “Sorrows of Werter.”
It lay open at the place where
Werter writes to Charlotte,

“They are loaded——the clock
strikes twelve——I go. Charlotte,
Charlotte! Farewell! Farewell!”

That and several other passa-
ges in the book, corresponding
with his unhappy situation, were
marked by him with a pen.

Keene, N. H., July 25.——During
the shower on Sunday last, a cur-
rent of air, or rather a whirlwind,
commenced its destructive effects
at a seventy foot shed, to the west
of the large building formerly occu-

―297―

pied as a distillery, in this town.
The whole of the upper part of
the shed was taken off, and about
one third of the north roof of the
distillery. The wind then took
hold of a forty foot barn, nearly
new, within a few paces, and laid
the whole in ruins; and, after
stripping off part of the roof from
a dwelling-house, a few rods far-
ther east, passed off in a north-
east direction, levelling to the
ground fences and every thing in
its way, for about half a mile.
Large sticks of timber were car-
ried eight or ten rods. The ra-
vages extended five or six rods in
width. The buildings injured
and destroyed were owned by
Mr. A. Seamans.

Two cows and two young cat-
tle in Packersfield, the property
of Mr. Jonas Richardson, were
killed by lightning at the same
time.

On Sunday, about noon, a wind
passed from Marlborough, in a
north-east direction, and ended in
Packersfield, before it reached the
meeting-house. Its breadth, in
general, was thought to be about
twenty-five or thirty rods, and
was very terrific. It laid wood-
land prostrate, some apple-trees,
fences, &c., but did little injury to
buildings, except a new barn be-
longing to James Wakefield, of
Marlborough. The said Wake-
field, his wife and child, who had
been abroad in the pasture, per-
ceiving a shower of rain com-
ing, repaired to the barn as the
nearest shelter, and went into the
hay. The wind, soon after, struck
the barn with such force as to re-
move it from its foundation eight
or nine feet; the building then
fell, and one band of timber fell
upon the distressed partners and
their child, a little boy in his third

year, a scene better conceived
than expressed; when lo! He
that gathereth the wind in his
hand interposed: this rude ele-
ment was made to act the part of
a friend, or what an earthly friend
could not have done. It took the
feet of said band, and, pitching it
over, relieved the distress with ve-
ry little personal injury. This
remarkable event drew the neigh-
bours together on Monday, and,
touched with more than the com-
mon feelings of humanity, they im-
mediately went to work, and on
Tuesday, a little after sun-set, a
new frame was erected.

Lexington, Kentucky, July 7.——
By a private letter of the 15th ult.,
from Natchez, we are informed,
that the supreme court of the
Missisippi territory have dis-
charged Blannerhassett and Ty-
ler, for want of evidence of their
guilt; that Ralston and Floyd
were indicted in the circuit court
of Wilkinson county, and a de-
murrer to the indictments was
sustained by the court, and that
Blannerhassett had set out for
home.

The season, during the latter
part of the spring, and the sum-
mer thus far, has been uncom-
monly wet: but the rain yesterday
was greater than has been wit-
nessed for seventeen years; and
we believe the fresh at that time
was not so great as the present.
The rain commenced about eleven
o'clock yesterday; and it appeared
as if the windows of heaven were
open for about two hours: as the
rain fell in such torrents as have
not been before witnessed for
that length of time. The small
branch which runs through Wa-
ter-street soon became an impas-
sable stream, except by the bridg-
es, the arches of which were in a

―298―

short time incapable of admitting
the immense body of water which
essayed to pass through, and they
were all overflown. The water
backed into the cellars on Main-
street, and all the houses on Wa-
ter-street. In several instances
families were obliged to retire to
the second story, to avoid the wa-
ter, which half filled the lower part
of the houses. The loss of pro-
perty we have not heard estimated,
but it must have been very consi-
derable. One or two children
were stated to have been drowned;
but we believe without foundation.

Dover, July 25.——A most dar-
ing and outrageous robbery was
committed in this town last even-
ing, about 9 o'clock. A gentleman,
by the name of John Whiting,
alone in a chaise, was passing from
Boston for Buckstown, Maine,
with 13,368 dollars, in bills on the
Penobscot bank. Just as he ar-
rived a little east of a place called
Libby's bridge, about half a mile
from the landing, and within sixty
or seventy rods of a number of
dwelling-houses, two villains rush-
ed from the fence, one of whom
seized the horse's bridle, while the
other, with a cocked pistol in his
hand, demanded his property in
these words, “deliver, or you are
a dead man.” He then shoved a
pretty large trunk, which contain-
ed his money and some clothing,
and was on the floor of the chaise,
to the first villain; on which the
other cried out, “God d——n you,
deliver your pocket book.” Mr.
Whiting then put his hand to his
side pocket, and pulled out a three
barrelled pistol, which being per-
ceived, one of the villains fired,
and the ball passed opposite to near
Mr. Whiting's breast, through the
side of the chaise; at the same
instant Mr. Whiting fired, and en-

deavoured to repeat the shot, but
his second and third attempt fail-
ed. His horse then being free
from the hands of the robbers, he
seized the reins, and drove to the
first dwelling-house. The inha-
bitants immediately turned out, in
all directions, in pursuit, but no
discovery of the villains has since
been made. The trunk is this
moment brought in, being found
about half a mile from the scene
of robbery, broken open, the mo-
ney taken out, and some of the
clothing. Whiting offers a re-
ward of 1000 dollars to any per-
son or persons who will apprehend
and secure the perpetrators of the
villainy, so that they may be
brought to justice, and the proper-
ty recovered.

Russellville, Kentucky, August
1.——We are informed, by a person
from fort Massac, that, about the
23d ult. a party of Indians attack-
ed some people on board of a flat-
bottomed boat at Wilkinsonville,
on the Ohio, and killed every one
on board, plundered the boat of
what they could carry off, and then
sunk her.

London, August 1–8.——Accord-
ing to the statement of the British
naval force up to yesterday, it ap-
pears that the total number of
ships in commission is 140 of the
line, 20 from 50 to 44 guns, 167
frigates, 197 sloops, and 243
brigs: making a total of 767 ves-
sels of war. There are building,
or ordered to be built, 46 of the
line, 23 frigates, 26 sloops, and
4 gun brigs, making a total of 104
ships on the stocks. Those in
ordinary are 41 of the line, 14
from 50 to 44 guns, 55 frigates,
42 sloops, &c., and 14 gun brigs.

Albany, August 1.——The influ-
enza prevails at present more ge-
nerally, perhaps, than ever it has

―299―

done before, at least in this state,
beyond which we have not heard.
Reports state, that in the city of
New York, according to calcula-
tion, fifteen thousand have been af-
fected with it at the same time.
In this city, within ten days past,
probably one half the inhabitants
have experienced its attacks, and
in the country, in every direction,
it more or less prevails.

Physicians would do well, dur-
ing the prevalence of this disease,
to make critical observations res-
pecting its history. What are
its remote and proximate causes?
Is it an endemic malady, or epi-
demic only, or both? Is it in any
degree contagious? In what
manner can it be guarded against,
and what the best modes of treat-
ment? What are the seasons,
what the state of atmosphere
most favourable to its attacks, &c.
The history of influenza (an Ita-
lian appellation) is yet little known.

August 10.——Mr. Fulton's inge-
nious steam boat, invented with a
view to the navigation of the Mis-
sisippi from New Orleans up-
wards, was to move last Monday
from the North river near the state
prison to Albany. The velocity of
the steam boat is calculated at
four miles an hour; it is said
that it will make a progress of
two against the current of the
Missisippi; and, if so, it will cer-
tainly be a very valuable acquisi-
tion to the commerce of the west-
ern states.

The honourable Mr. Tracy was
the first member of our national
legislature ever entombed within
the city of Washington. This
circumstance and the known fact
than general Tracy was too ge-
nerous to be rich, occasioned his
friends to ask leave of his relatives
to lay each a stone to his monu-

mental pile, after the manner of
the original Americans. The
form of this pile is to be left to a
committee of gentlemen of known
taste, selected for this interesting
occasion.

Brattleborough, Vermont, Au-
gust 1.——Last Tuesday morning
the head quarters of counterfeiting
was broken up, and Philander No-
ble, engraver, Abiather Royce,
Levi Roberts, and John Niles
were arrested. The plan was
effected by a number of men from
this and the neighbouring towns,
who, having suspicion that a gang
of counterfeiting gentry had some
place of resort in Woodstock,
undertook with much vigilance to
search and break them up. It
was found they entered the woods
near the house of Thomas Kim-
ball, in Plymouth, and, after tra-
cing their route a mile and a half
into the wilderness, over rocks
and hills, came to the hut, when
it was surrounded, and the fright-
ened prisoners secured, with very
little opposition. In their little
camp were found plates for the
purpose of counterfeiting four dol-
lar bills on the Columbia bank,
ten dollar bills on the New York
state bank, and one nearly com-
pleted of five dollars on the Ver-
mont state bank, about 1550 dollars
in counterfeited bills, some signed,
others partly signed, and the re-
sidue with the blanks unfilled.
There was also found a rolling
press for the purpose of impressing
bills, a quantity of paper suitable
for the business, four coppers pre-
pared for engraving, with every
other instrument and material to
carry on the business with ease
and dispatch. The persons ap-
prehended were taken before Ben-
jamin Swan and Samuel Daman,
Esqrs., bound over, and, not being

―300―

able to procure the bail required,
were committed to Woodstock
jail, to take their trial before the
supreme court, which will be held
in that county on the third Tues-
day of August next. Thomas
Kimball was also arrested by the
same persons, and fifty-nine dol-
lars in counterfeit bills being
found in his house, and he having
confessed his knowledge where
the hut was erected, and that he
had supplied the gang with pro-
visions, was committed with the
others.

Hays, the notorious counter-
feiter, who escaped from the jail
in this town a few weeks ago, has
since been seen in the western
part of the state of New York, in
a beggar's habit.

The following observations
were made on board the brig As-
pasia, on her passage from La-
guira for New York:

Being to the southward of Porto
Rico, on the 18th August, when
the moon fulled, observed the
weather extremely clouded and
unsettled, the sun with an unu-
sual brick-red colour, and a tre-
mendous swell from the north-
ward, the wind high and from
the N. W. At noon observed, in
lat. 17° 21'. At 2, P. M., the wind
inclining more westerly, induced
me to believe a gale near at hand,
particularly on account of the im-
mensity of lightning from all
quarters. At six the wind had
veered round as far as S. W. It
was then unusually dark being
near the land. A gale, already
commenced, placed me in a very
perilous situation, and I had but
two alternatives to chuse, the one
to endeavour to gain the southward
board, the other to push before
the gale through the Mona pas-
sage; but not seeing any land

made it extremely dangerous, and
I should never have taken that
step, but from a thorough know-
ledge that a swell so large from
the northward could never have
originated between me and Porto
Rico, from which I was then dis-
tant not more by estimation than
ten or twelve miles. At nine the
wind shifted to south, with rain
and very heavy squalls. Sent
down top-gallant-yard and mast to
lighten the vessel. At ten, find-
ing destruction on one hand, and
little hopes on the other, I deter-
mined to scud her under close
reefed fore-top-sail, expecting
from the swell that the passage
was open. The swell from the
northward was so high as to cover
her completely; heavy squalls
with incessant lightning, every
soul on board anxious for the
safety of his life, and trusting to
Providence for relief. At mid-
night excessively dark, but for-
tunately saw the island of Mona
right ahead, about two miles. At
one, A. M., saw Monaca, and to
our great joy found ourselves
completely through. Continued
scudding north, lest the wind,
which in hurricanes is so variable,
should change to that point. At
day-light a most tremendous sea
broke in on us, in every direc-
tion; fortunately we were snug,
otherwise we must inevitably have
lost our masts.

Abbeville, August 6.——On the
27th ult. we experienced the se-
verest hail storm that was ever
known in this part of the country;
it came on from the N. E. About
fifteen miles north east of me,
there was pieces of hail picked
up that measured 4 ½ by 2 ½ inches
in diameter. At my plantation
they were more of an oval form;
and be assured I speak within

―301―

bounds, when I say they were
from the size of a hen to that of a
goose egg.—— M'Cann, Esq.,
of Pendleton district, weighed one
that was sixteen ounces. It fell
in great quantities in this neigh-
bourhood, which has proved very
destructive to the crops in gene-
ral.

Charleston, August 8.——Dur-
ing the thunder storm on Thurs-
day last, the ship Eliza, of Bos-
ton, was struck with lightning;
her hull was not injured, but the
main-top-gallant-mast, and main-
top-mast were entirely destroyed,
and the main-mast considerably
damaged. Captain Rich receiv-
ed no injury, nor any of the crew,
although they were all on deck at
the time. Captain Coombs, who
was also on deck at the time, was
knocked down, but immediately
recovered.

The lightning also struck the
cotton house of Thomas Simons,
Esq., on John's island, and we are
sorry to add that the building, to-
gether with its contents, was en-
tirely consumed.

jersey agricultural re-
port.
Summer——1807.

Hay. ——Large crops, exceeding
those of any late year. Some of
it damaged, a great deal well got
in. Bottom and low meadows es-
caped floods with less injury than
common.

Harvests. Wheat. ——More a-
bundant, and better than any for-
mer year since the revolution.
With daily showers and hot suns
in harvest-time, somewhat grown
in places.

Rye. ——Plentiful, and well se-
cured, some few crops excepted.

Oats. ——Unusually abundant and
good. More sown than usual,
and what was sown is better.

Flax. ——Large, thick, and well-
seeded; the coating not yet ascer-
tained.

Corn. ——Never more promis-
ing, and seldom more planted.

Barley. ——But little sown, that
little generally good.

On the whole, should Indian
corn turn out as well as it pro-
mises, a more plentiful year will
never have been remembered in
this state.

Fruit. ——No scarcity, except of
apples, of which there are very
few.

Baltimore, August 10.——Yes-
terday morning, between seven
and eight o'clock, Mr. Elias
Brown and his wife, accompanied
by a negro woman, went to Spring
gardens, in order to cross the ri-
ver, and spend the day. When
they arrived at the water side,
there was no boat for their con-
veyance across the cove; where-
upon Mr. B. threw off all his
clothes except his pantaloons and
hat, in order to swim over and
bring the boat, contrary to the
most earnest remonstrances of his
wife, who told him he would get
the cramp: to this he made no
answer, but proceeded on his way.
When Mrs. B. saw him lose his
hat, she screamed out for help,
but, alas! there was none at hand,
and her husband was drowned be-
fore her face. He was buried
this morning.

Trenton, August 10.——A letter
of the 30th July, from Schooley's
mountain, says, on Wednesday
last Mr. Peters and Mrs. M. F.
Ellis, of New York, Mrs. Decatur,
of Philadelphia, and Miss Brinc-
kerhoff, of Morris county, were
passing in a coachee from Mr.
Sagee's to Mr. Heath's boarding
house at the springs; near the
latter house, in descending a

―302―

small hill, one of the horses took
fright, and ran with such violence
that the coachman, in attempting
to stop them, was drawn from his
seat down upon the tongue of the
carriage, and consequently having
no more power with the lines, the
horses ran violently against a rock
on the side of the road, which
overset the coachee, when, by the
exertions of a young gentlemen
of Philadelphia (son of general
Bray, of Hunterdon), they were
stopped. Miss Brinckerhoff was
taken up, apparently dead; after a
few minutes, symptoms of life ap-
peared; she was taken to Mr.
Heath's, where she was soon at-
tended by Dr. Hampton, who,
upon examining the wound in her
head, reported that her scull was
somewhat fractured, but a possi-
bility of her recovery existed.

Mrs. Decatur was bruised, but
not at all dangerously; Mr. Peters
and Mrs. Ellis also received some
injury.

Canandaigua (New York).——
The new and valuable mills be-
longing to captain Israel Chapin,
of this town, situate two miles east
of the court house, were, on
Thursday night last, set on fire by
some unknown villanous incen-
diary, and entirely destroyed, to-
gether with about 500 bushels of
grain, nearly the whole of which
belonged to Mr. Henry Chapin.
The damage is estimated at not
less than $5000.

It is hoped that every individual
who feels a concern for the ge-
neral safety will aid in detecting
the perpetrator of a crime, which
the whole community is so deeply
interested in preventing. A re-
ward of $250 has been raised in
this town by subscription, to be
paid to any person who will dis-
cover the villain or villains, that

they may be prosecuted to convic-
tion.

P. S. Since the above was in
type, a person has been taken up
on suspicion. He was examined
before William Shepard, Esq., and
so strong were the circumstances
which appeared against him, that
he was committed to prison for
trial.

Baltimore, August 12.——Last
night, about nine o'clock, a gen-
tleman and lady, returning from
spending the evening with a friend
in the environs of this city, were
attacked by two fellows with clubs
in their hands, one with a light
coloured coatee on, the other
wrapped up in a dark coloured
surtout, who, with dreadful impre-
cations, demanded the gentle-
man's money, which, without
hesitation, was delivered up (a
three dollar note of the bank of
Delaware being all he had about
him). They demanded his watch,
and were disappointed at not find-
ing one in his possession. Dis-
satisfied with their booty, one of
the villains snatched off the lady's
bonnet, while the other with his
club uplifted threatened to knock
the gentleman's brains out if he
did not let the lady go, and at-
tempted to use force to effect it.
Fired with a just resentment at
such savage treatment, he deter-
mined to lose his life rather than
relinquish a female under his pro-
tection to the mercy of such ruf-
fians; and, recollecting he had a
penknife in his pocket, he prepared
to open it, which being observed
by one of the villains, he aimed a
blow with his cudgel at the gen-
tleman's head, which fortunately
missed it, and alighted on his
shoulders; he instantly sprung
forward, seized the assassin by the
collar, ere could he again raise his

―303―

cudgel, and with his penknife
gave him such a wound as brought
him to the ground, where he was
left. The other, on finding his
companion wounded, jumped over
the adjoining fence, and made his
escape.

It may be added, that the dis-
tressed situation of the lady pre-
vented the gentleman from secur-
ing the villain.

The court of general sessions
of the peace of the city and coun-
ty of New-York, usually called the
Mayor's court, commenced its sit-
tings on the 4th day of August,
and continued until the 11th,
when the court adjourned, and
the several persons convicted re-
ceived sentence.

Archibald M'Lean, a boy about
15 years of age, was indicted for
breaking into the warehouse of
John Tonnelly, on the 3d day of
July last, and stealing thereout 50
skins of leather, which he threw
out of a back window, and was
seized by Mr. Tonnelly's foreman
in the act of carrying them away.
Mr. Tonnelly was in the country
at the trial, and no other proof of
property was given than the tes-
timony of his foreman. Messrs.
Morton and Sampson defended
the prisoner with considerable in-
genuity, on the ground of his ex-
treme youth, and a defect of evi-
dence: but it appearing that the
prisoner had been for some time
in the habit of stealing skins from
the prosecutor, and selling them
to druggists at 12 ½ cents each,
and he having confessed his guilt
before the magistrates at the po-
lice office, when first apprehend-
ed, the jury brought in a verdict of
guilty; and he was sentenced to
three years imprisonment at hard
labour in the state prison.

William Riley was indicted for
stealing a horse, of the value of
150 dollars, and a chair of the va-
lue of 120, the property of Wil-
liam Burlock and Henry Laton.
The prosecutors are respectable
livery-stable keepers, in this city,
the prisoner a notorious swindler.
On the 4th day of August, the
prisoner called at the stables of
Somerindyke, in New-street, and
requested to have a chair and horse
to carry him to Bloomingdale, say-
ing he should return in about three
hours. He called himself Den-
mead, and gave No. 144, Water-
street, as the number of his house.
Somerindyke, though he liked not
the man's countenance, and was
strongly predisposed to believe
him a knave, permitted him with
Laton's consent to take the horse
and chair, and pursue his propos-
ed journey.

When the limited time men-
tioned by Riley had expired, and
he did not return as he had pro-
mised, the owners of the proper-
ty became uneasy, and one of
them pursued him to Blooming-
dale. Not receiving any intelli-
gence of him there, he was the
next day pursued on the Albany
road, and after considerable diffi-
culty overtaken, at the distance of
about 60 miles. He was seized
in bed at a tavern on a bye-road,
and stoutly denied any knowledge
of the horse and chair; but being
being confronted by Laton, he
confessed that they were in his
possession, and that he intended
to take them into Canada. A wo-
man accompanied him as his tra-
velling companion. He had fast-
ened a trunk, weighing about 50
lb., containing his clothes, &c.,
under the carriage. The horse
was very much jaded; and, ac-

―304―

companied by Laton, when they
came to a convenient bye-place,
at a distance from any habitation,
Riley jumped out of the chair,
and, presenting a pistol to Laton's
breast, demanded his horse.

Laton immediately dismount-
ed, and Riley rode off with all
possible expedition. The people
belonging to a farm house a few
miles distant, being alarmed by
Laton, went in pursuit of Riley,
and overtook him. He was se-
cured a second time, brought to
New-York, and committed to
Bridewell.

On his trial he offered no jus-
tification; but called upon four
witnesses to testify to the honesty
of his life, and the purity of his
character. The first did not know
him; the second knew him only
from his having once applied to
the witness for legal advice; the
third accused him of fraud; and
the fourth was Mr. Denmead, an
industrious and respectable me-
chanic, whose name he had as-
sumed. Mr. Blake, the counsel
for the prisoner, contended with
much ingenuity that the crime im-
puted to Riley amounted only to a
common fraud, and that the in-
dictment could not be supported.
The court coincided in that opi-
nion. The jury, however, thought
otherwise; they brought in a ver-
dict of guilty, and the court sen-
tenced him to five years hard la-
bour in the state prison, subject
to the revision of the judges at
the next sitting of the supreme
court.

John Middleton was indicted
for an assault on Mary Gibson.
The prosecutrix is a married wo-
man of reputation, a native of Ire-
land. On Sunday the 2d instant,
the prisoner came into her apart-
ment, where she and her husband

were at breakfast, and enquired
if she could not give some herring
broth. Conceiving this to be a
gross national as well as personal
insult, the prosecutrix threw the
contents of the slop bowl in his
face, and he departed to all ap-
pearance perfectly satisfied. He
was relating this treatment to a
friend of his on the stoop of a
house in Broadway, as Mrs. Gib-
son was returning from church.
His friend perceiving her pass by,
pointed her out to him, when he
followed her immediately, and
brutally kicked her in the street,
telling her at the same time he
was giving her a little herring
broth. The prisoner made no
defence at the bar. The jury
found him guilty, and the court
very deservedly sentenced him to
six months imprisonment in the
city prison.

Fredericksburg, August 13.——
The excessive rains of Tuesday
night and Wednesday last pro-
duced a greater fresh in the Rap-
pahannock than has been known
for more than twenty years; and
we fear the destruction occasioned
thereby, in the upper country, is
great indeed. In this town and
neighbourhood, several individuals
have been severe sufferers, parti-
cularly Mr. Robert Dunbar, in the
loss of his valuable bridge at Fal-
mouth, the wood work of which
was entirely swept away by the
destructive torrent; together with
the almost entire demolition of the
extensive canal which conveyed
the water to the mills of Mr.
Dunbar and Mr. Richards. The
canal on this side the river, which
conveyed the water to the mills
of Messrs. Cooch and Hollings-
worth, was greatly injured, and
the wood work at the head de-
stroyed. The house on Johnson

―305―

and Young's wharf, occupied by
Mr. Donaldson, and another oc-
cupied by Mr. M'Williams, have
been carried off. A small vessel,
loaded with oyster shells, broke
her fasts, and was dashed to pieces
against Gaffel's wharf; several
other small vessels parted their
cables, and have gone down with
the current. The meadows of
Messrs. Williams, Minor, Morti-
mer, Lewis, &c., were entirely
overflowed, and great losses sus-
tained in hay, corn, &c.

The water still continued to
rise at ten o'clock last night.
Two northern mails and one
southern are now due.

Alexandria, August 15.——We
have received no mails from the
south for the two last days, owing,
it is supposed, to the heavy rains.
Accounts from that quarter lead
us to apprehend considerable da-
mage has been done. The bridge
at Colchester has been carried
away by the fresh, as likewise the
bridge at Occoquan; and the
dams at the latter place have been
injured. The mill-dams at Dum-
fries have also been broken, and it
is feared intelligence from other
quarters will not prove more fa-
vourable.

Wilkesbarre, August 14.——On
Saturday last the inhabitants of
Pittston were visited by a severe
hail storm. The cloud passed
over them from the S. E. The
storm continued about half an
hour, and covered the ground
about two inches deep with hail.
The grain suffered very much
from its ravages, and in some
places whole fields of corn and
buckwheat were entirely destroy-
ed. A number of windows were
broken, and some poultry killed.
Mr. Ebenezer Marcey is supposed
to have sustained nearly 200 dol-

lars damage by the hail. Its ma-
terial effects were confined to a
narrow vein.

On Saturday, the 15th August,
a young woman, servant to Mrs.
Wood, a widow lady of Cuck-
field, complained of a head-ache
and drowsiness, when her mistress
advised her to take some balm
tea, and lie down; she according-
ly went to bed, and immediately
after dropped into a profound
sleep, and continued sleeping,
though proper means were used
by the faculty to arouse her, till
Sunday, the 23d instant, eight
days, when she awoke, apparent-
ly from the sound of the church
bells, which were then chiming,
and occasioned her to remark that
her yesterday's indisposition had
caused her to lie beyond her ordi-
nary hour, as it was church time.
She got up without much assist-
ance, but complained of excessive
thirst, and appeared extremely
weak. Mrs. Wood took all pos-
sible care of her, and she is now
perfectly recovered. During the
whole of this wonderful suspen-
sion of the faculties of the mind
the flush of health appeared on
her cheeks, but their fulness di-
minished considerably after the
third day, when her pulsation
grew weaker, and her breathing
could hardly be perceived. No
sustenance could be administered
to her.

Boston, August 20.——Just after
nine o'clock, last evening, a fire
broke out in the attic story of one
of the old houses in Fish-street, to
the north-eastward of what is usu-
ally called Mountford's corner.
Five dwelling-houses were burn-
ed, and several gutted and other-
wise injured. The rapidity of
the flames threatened a wide de-
vastation, but the activity of the

―306―

firemen and citizens, never more
strenuously and intelligently ex-
erted, put a check to the element
when the danger was the most
threatening, the buildings in the
vicinity being mostly of wood, and
old. The houses were occupied
by Dr. Wakefield, druggist,
Montford's corner; Mr. Thomas
Curtis, hair-dresser; Mr. Clea-
ver (in whose premises the fire
originated), Mr. Bell, Mrs. Wade,
and others We could not col-
lect any further particulars.

August 24.——On Monday last
was committed to the jail of Car-
lisle a man by the name of Ed-
ward Donnelly, a farmer that re-
sided near Bell's tavern, a few
miles from Carlisle, strongly sus-
pected of having murdered his
wife, on Sunday, the 9th instant,
and afterwards burning her corpse
in the fire-place of the bed room.
Several of the neighbours have
deposed, that they heard her
screams on that day, for upwards
of an hour, and the prisoner ac-
knowledges having beaten her, as
likewise one of their children in-
forms, that he saw the father, af-
ter he had done beating his
mother, try to pour something
down her throat as she lay on the
bed, but that his mother did not
move. It is said the unfortunate
woman expected to be confined in
a very few days. There are three
small children, the eldest only
about six years old; these were
confined in the stable by the father,
about the time the cruel savage
crime is supposed to have been
perpetrated. A number of hu-
man bones have been gathered
from the ashes in the fire-place.

August 25.——In July last, Phi-
lander Nobles, Abiather Royce,
Levi Roberts, and John Niles,
were arrested at their hut, in

the woods between Woodstock
and Rutland, in Vermont, where
they had been carrying on the
business of counterfeiting bank
bills. On Thursday last they
had their trial before the supreme
court, at Woodstock. By a per-
son from the vicinity of that
town, we are informed, that the
two first were sentenced to re-
ceive fifty lashes, to stand in the
pillory a short time, to be impri-
soned five years, to pay a fine of
seven hundred dollars, and the
cost of prosecution. The other
two received the same sentence,
excepting the number of lashes,
which was thirty-nine each. The
corporal punishment was inflict-
ed on Friday.

New London, Connecticut, Au-
gust 8.——About sun-set the house
of Mr. David Strong of Hebron,
was struck with lightning, and
Rufus Coates, a youth of about
eighteen years of age, living in
the family, was instantaneously
killed. A large quantity of the
fluid appears to have entered the
house. It forced out large stones
from the chimney, by which it
entered, and spread in every di-
rection over the house. It da-
maged almost every room, broke
nearly sixty panes of glass, burst
out one window-frame and part
of another, and removed a bed
and other furniture from their
places. The south part of the
house is very much torn in
pieces. It is worthy of notice,
and deserves the grateful ac-
knowledgement of those who
were preserved, that, although
eleven persons were under the
roof at the time, five of them in
the room where the young man
was killed, and two standing
very near him, yet no one, ex-
cept the deceased, was materi-

―307―

ally injured. The Sovereign Dis-
poser of all things taketh one and
leaveth another.

Mr. Brown, a gentleman from
Troy (N. Y.), was unfortunately
drowned in crossing Shetucket
river, at the ferrying place, on
Wednesday, the 5th instant.——
The particulars relative to this
melancholy accident are as fol-
lows:——Mr. Brown, in company
with a Mr. Jones (who appears
to be in ill health), were in a car-
riage, on a journey to the east-
ward. Late in the afternoon on
Wednesday, they arrived at the
ferrying place, at the moment
that an ox-team was about to
cross in the boat. The gentle-
men, apprehending danger, pro-
posed that the team should first
cross; but being assured by the
ferryman in the most positive
terms that there was no danger,
they were at length prevailed upon
to cross at the same time. The
team being in the forward part
of the boat, when about half way
over the oxen took fright, and,
backing with the cart, forced the
carriage out of the boat, where
the water was ten or twelve feet
in depth; the two being in the
carriage, almost instantly disap-
peared. Fortunately for Mr.
Jones, assistance being near, he
was rescued from a watery
grave in time to preserve life, of
which he appeared nearly de-
prived when brought on shore.
The body of the unfortunate Mr.
Brown has not yet been found,
although nearly a hundred per-
sons have been constantly em-
ployed since Thursday morning
last in searching for it. It is said
that Mr. Brown had cash and
notes about him to the amount
of 20,000 dollars.

Providence, Rhode Island, Au-

gust 29.——On Thursday evening,
Absalom Jones, a respectable
black clergyman, from Philadel-
phia, performed divine service
with much propriety at St. John's
church, in this town.

Charleston, S. C., August 21.——
Last evening, a considerable
deal of injury was done by the
storm in and about the city. One
of the gun-boats in our harbour
was struck by the lightning,
which shattered her mast, and
otherwise damaged her. The
summer-house in colonel Ste-
vens' yard, in George-street, was
also struck; every pane of glass
in it broken; the window frames
shattered and driven out. It made
its course through the building,
entering at the N. W., passing
out at S. E.

August 22.——During the storm
on Thursday evening, two in-
ches and a half of rain fell, ac-
companied with much thunder
and lightning. One of the gun-
boats in the harbour, and some
out-houses about town, were
struck and much injured.

Baltimore, August 25.——The
influenza, which has so gene-
rally prevailed in New York,
Philadelphia, &c., promises to
have as current a circulation
among us. There are some in-
stances of five or six in a family
being afflicted with it. In the
cases that we have seen, it is
commonly attended with a smart
fever for from twelve to twenty-
four hours, considerable pain in
the head, weakness in the limbs,
and a general lassitude in the
system. The severity of the at-
tack continues for about forty-
eight hours, during which the
eyes are much inflamed, and, as
well as the nose, emit a great
deal of watery matter. After

―308―

this it uniformly yields to medi-
cine, or gradually disappears by
the operations of nature alone.

Hudson. ——The influenza, which
prevails so universally in New
York, has reached this place
also, and affected a great propor-
tion of the citizens.

Barometer, 30, 10 to 30, 56

Hygrometer, damp, 56 to 100

Fall of rain, 5 inches 1½ tenths

Prevailing winds, S. W. & N. E.

Days of rain, 7

Days of thunder, 5,

Making allowance for the in-
crease of the inhabitants since
the last census, the population
of Charleston is supposed to be
28,000.

Various reports having been
circulated of the unhealthiness of
this city, we are therefore ex-
tremely glad to find, by the pub-
lication of the Medical Society,
that the number of deaths of
white persons have been less than
two a day, which, in a population
of near 28,000 inhabitants, as
therein stated, is certainly very
trifling, and will prove that Char-
leston is among the healthiest
cities on the continent.

New York, September 1.——The
members of the committee for af-
fording supplies to the Americans
in prison in Carthagena are re-

quested to meet at Mechanic
Hall, on Friday evening next, the
4th inst., to return their subscrip-
tion papers, and pay the amount
collected to the chairman.

The committee acknowledge,
with gratitude, the receipt of five
hundred dollars from a gentleman
in Philadelphia, which, with other
funds, has been sent, in articles of
first necessity, for the temporary
relief of those unfortunate men.
They regret that, in soliciting aid
for purposes wholly charitable,
party views should offer obsta-
cles. If the objects of their so-
licitude have erred, their suffer-
ings and punishment are certain-
ly proportionate to their errors.
The reflection that upwards of
forty of our countrymen, useful,
though indigent citizens, are in
chains, their families deprived of
their services and support, is, it
is hoped, sufficient to induce the
dictates of humanity to overcome
prejudice. Subscription papers
are left at Mechanic Hall; at
the Tontine coffee-house, and
with Mr. George F. Hopkins,
bookseller, Pearl-street.

Boston, September 2.——An asso-
ciation has been formed at Nas-
sau, N. P., for the purpose of af-
fording assistance to ship-wreck-
ed mariners and distressed sea-
men, who might be thrown upon
that coast; and they have solicit-
ed subscriptions from the United
States. By an advertisement of
the Marine society of Crooked
island, dated June 30, 1807, it
appears, that the whole amount
of subscription money received
up to that date, was 94l.; of which
10l. was subscribed by W. Rhine-
lander, Esq., of New York. They
had paid for the relief of distress-
ed seamen, &c., the sum of 56l.;
35l. of which was paid for the re-

―309―

lief of 3 Americans, (captain, su-
percargo, and seaman), who, af-
ter being thrown on that coast in
a state of insensibility, were thus
restored to their friends and so-
ciety. It is hoped that the liberal
and humane citizens of the Unit-
ed States will not suffer this be-
nevolent institution to die away
for want of that pecuniary aid
which our own seafaring bre-
thren, when in distress, may so
seasonably and beneficially par-
take of.

New York, Sept. 1.——A seaman
was picked up at sea, three miles
below the light-house, by a pilot
boat. His story is, that he had
been impressed on board the Co-
lumbine, a British armed vessel,
which is lying within the Horse-
shoe; that he determined to make
his escape, and waited till dusk,
when he supposed the tide would
favour his escape to shore. He
unfortunately mistook the time of
tide, and was carried out to sea,
where he would have shortly pe-
rished, had not a pilot boat been
near, whose men, on hearing a
voice crying for assistance, stood
for the place from which the
sound proceeded, and rescued the
unfortunate seaman from a wate-
ry grave.

Charleston, S. C., Sept. 4, 1807.
——Yesterday, in a house upon
Harleston's green, and almost on
the banks of Ashley river, the
thermometer, placed in a shad-
ed situation, and free current of
air, stood, between the hours of
one and three o'clock, P. M., at
96 degrees. Between the hours
of 5 and 6 o'clock, it stood at 90
degrees.

New York, September 5.——This
city was visited, on the night of
Friday last, with a severe shower
of rain, attended by hard thunder

and vivid lightning. At the close
of the shower an alarm of fire was
rung, and the sky to the south-
ward immediately illuminated by
a blaze of light, which proved to
be on Long island. It proceeded,
we understand, from the barn
of Mr. Coles, miller, near Red
Hook, about a mile and a half
from Brooklyn, which was struck,
as is supposed, by the lightning,
and was totally consumed.

Philadelphia. ——On Saturday
last, an eel, of the following sur-
prising dimensions, was caught by
captain Howland, between the
bridges on Schuylkill, viz.

And weighing twelve and a
half pounds!

New-York, Sept. 1, 1807.——The
following is an extract of a letter,
on the subject of the steam-boat,
from a respectable gentleman of
South Carolina, now travelling
through this state:

On the morning of the 19th of
August, Edward P. Livingston,
Esq., and myself were honoured
with an invitation from the chan-
cellor and Mr. Fulton, to proceed
to Albany with them in trying the
first experiment up the river Hud-
son in the steam-boat. She was
then lying off Claremont (the seat
of the chancellor), where she had
arrived in 24 hours from New-
York, being 110 miles. Precisely
at 13 minutes past 9 o'clock, A.
M., the engine was put in motion,
when we made a-head against the
ebb tide, and head wind blowing a
pleasant breeze. We continued
our course about eight miles,
when we took the flood, the wind
still a-head. We arrived at Alba-
ny at 5 o'clock, P. M., being a
distance from Claremont of 45

―310―

miles (as agreed upon by those
best acquainted with the river),
which was performed in eight
hours, without any accident or
interruption whatever. This de-
cidedly gave the boat upwards of
five miles an hour, the tide some-
times against us, neither the sails
nor any other implement but the
steam used. The next morning
we left Albany, with several pas-
sengers, on the return of the boat
to New York, the tide in favour,
but a head wind. We left Alba-
ny at 25 minutes past nine, A. M.,
and arrived at Claremont in nine
hours precisely, which gave us
five miles an hour. The current
on returning was stronger than
when going up. After landing
us at Claremont, Mr. Fulton pro-
ceeded with the passengers to
New York.

To proceed: the excursion to
Albany was very pleasant, and re-
presented a most interesting spec-
tacle. As we passed the farms
on the borders of the river, every
eye was intent, and from village
to village the heights and con-
spicuous places were occupied by
the centinels of curiosity, not
viewing a thing they could possi-
bly anticipate any idea of, but
conjecturing about the plausibili-
ty of the motion. As we passed
and repassed the towns of Athens
and Hudson, we were politely sa-
luted by the inhabitants and se-
veral vessels, and at Albany we
were visited by his excellency the
governor, and many citizens.——
Boats must be very cautious how
they attempt to board her when
under way, as several accidents
liked to have happened when
boarding her: to board a-head will
endanger a boat being crushed by
the wheels, and no boat can board
a-stern, as the difference between

the wake of Neptune's chariot
and that of a common water car-
riage is very materially open to
observation: as when you ap-
proach the first you will be told
by anticipation to pay respect to
a lady in the chariot, as will be
readily notified by the expansion
of a wet fan which forms the di-
mensions of her wake, but mov-
ing with great impetuosity from
the warm repulsion. It is a cu-
rious fan; it only spreads by an
aquatic latchet being sprung by
the kicking of the horses.

I may now venture to multiply,
and give you the sum total. The
boat is 146 feet in length and 12
in width (merely an experimental
thing), draws to the depth of her
wheels two feet of water, 100 feet
deck for exercise, free of rig-
ging or any incumbrance. She
is unquestionably the most plea-
sant boat I ever went in: in her
the mind is free from suspense.
Perpetual motion authorises you
to calculate on a certain time to
land. Her works move with all
the facility of a clock, and the
noise when on board is not great-
er than that of a vessel sailing
with a good breeze, the motion
felt by the passengers not more
that what a pleasing degree of
lively animation would create,
and the operation of the machine
will afford a good relish to a scien-
tific mind during the passage; in
fact her works move much like
those of the human system; a
number of joints and fibres put in
motion from the action or im-
pulse of a liquid which flows and
ebbs alternately through various
vessels, depending on stimulating
substance for support.

Utica, N. Y., Sept. 1.——Last
week passed through this village,
M. Le Ray de Chaumont, who has

―311―

lately arrived from France, and
who, we are informed, is on his
way to prepare a residence for
his family upon his valuable and
extensive estates on the St. Law-
rence and Black rivers. We un-
derstand, also, that several fami-
lies have lately arrived from Eu-
rope, with a view to make settle-
ments on the same tract. The
healthiness of the climate in
which this fine tract of country is
situated, the richness of the soil,
and the water communications,
by which its productions may
with facility be floated to two
great markets, have already at-
tracted a great number of substan-
tial farmers from the neighbour-
hood of Philadelphia, who, to-
gether with the industrious and
enterprising people of New-Eng-
land, have already made great im-
provements. The constant and
almost daily influx of new settlers
upon these lands affords ample
proof of the estimation in which
they are held.

If the great land-holders in the
counties of Jefferson, Lewis, and
St. Lawrence are attentive to
their true interests, by contribut-
ing to the improvements of roads,
an object of the first importance
in a new country; as well as, by a
variety of other means in their
power, encouraging settlers who
show such a predilection for that
country; no doubt can be enter-
tained that in a very short period
these counties will be numbered
among the most populous and
flourishing in the state. It is a
new country, surrounded on all
sides by old ones, possessing all
the advantages of the former, and,
if the proprietors take the best
measures to effect it, will soon
equal those of the latter.

New Orleans, September 5,
1807.——Notwithstanding the ex-
treme heat and dryness of the
season, the city has enjoyed very
good health. Our population is
estimated at from twelve to fifteen
thousand inhabitants, of all ages
and descriptions. The general
average, for two or three years
past, according to the bills of mor-
tality, which I have examined, is
fifty-two per month. Considering
the state of our population, and
the sufferings to which newly-im-
ported negroes are subject, this is
not a great mortality, for it does
not amount to two per diem. The
whole number of Kentuckians
who have died in New Orleans
since this time last year, and all
who navigate flat boats are
called Kentuckians, whether from
Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Tennes-
see, amounts to but twelve per-
sons.

Portland.——A number of gen-
tlemen of this town, some time
since, associated for the purpose
of erecting a building on fort Hill,
from which vessels approaching
this port might be discovered at a
considerable distance, and informa-
tion given of the same. It not un-
frequently happens that vessels
coming on the coast in the winter
season experience much damage
in the sails, rigging, and loss of
hands, even when within sight of
the harbour. By the aid of good
glasses and a large telescope,
placed near the top of the obser-
vatory, the wants of the distressed
mariner, by the use of signals, if
within the distance of discovery,
will be known and communicated
to the insurance offices and those
interested, and such relief afford-
ed as his situation may require.
For a trifling expence the curious

―312―

lover of nature may from the ob-
servatory have an extensive view
of the surrounding country, and
behold one of the finest land-
scapes the country affords.

The following directions have
been furnished for the observa-
tions of those whom it may con-
cern:

Those masters who sail from
this port, or ports adjacent, are in-
formed, that from the observatory
on fort Hill, by means of the te-
lescope placed there, vessels ap-
proaching the coast may be dis-
covered at fifteen leagues dis-
tance; and their colours or pri-
vate signals can be distinguished
at eight leagues, if the weather
should be clear, and the colours
hoisted, or suspended in such a
manner as to present them fair to
the observatory. Should any need
assistance, they will set their en-
sign over their private signals;
and may be assured, if they can
be discerned, that their situation
will be made known to their own-
ers.

The observatory bears N. N.
W. ¼ W. from Portland light-
house, four miles distant; and
these in range are a good mark to
clear Alden's rock; which, keep-
ing the above in range, you will
be nearly three quarters of a
mile to the eastward of.

The observatory is on an emi-
nence, 141 feet above high-water
mark; and the building eighty-
two feet high, painted red, and the
telescope is placed near the top.

Pittsburgh (Penn.), Septem-
ber 29.——Early last week Mr. Wil-
liam B. Irish, deputy marshal,
left this place for Beaver county,
to execute several writs of habere
facias possessionem, issued out of
the circuit court of the United

States for the district of Pennsyl-
vania, for lands recovered by the
Population company against va-
rious settlers in that county. On
Wednesday the 23d instant, Mr.
Irish was proceeding to the house
of William Foulkes, one of the
persons against whom judgment
had been obtained in said court, in
company with Enion Williams,
agent of the company, George
Holdship, Esq., and James Ha-
milton; when, having just entered
the lane leading to Foulkes'
house, three or four guns were
fired from a thicket of bushes
close by the road side, and two
balls struck Mr. Hamilton, who
fell from his horse, and expired in
a few minutes; the others made
their escape immediately through
the woods to Greersburgh. Mr.
Hamilton had that morning been
put in possession of a tract of land
held by contract with the com-
pany, about two miles from the
place where the horrid deed was
perpetrated, and no doubt but the
villains knew him well when they
fired at him. Some neighbours
collected in the afternoon to re-
move the body of Mr. Hamilton;
Mr. Foulkes, it is said, came to
them, and expressed great sor-
row at the unfortunate accident,
although he had threatened, a day
or two before, that if the marshal
would come to dispossess him,
blood would be spilt on the occa-
sion.

Mr. Irish came that evening to
Beaver to get the sheriff of the
county, who is also colonel of a
regiment of militia, to call out a
party to go in pursuit of the mur-
derers; and only about fifteen
could be collected who were will-
ing to go, as it was believed the
party was forty or fifty strong, and

―313―

that they were resolutely deter-
mined that they would not let
themselves be taken.

This appears to be the first
blood that has been shed in pur-
suance of the long and doubtful
contest between the warrant hol-
ders and actual settlers, for lands
north of the rivers Ohio and Al-
leghany; though individuals had
often went among the settlers, en-
couraging them to hold out
against the company, and to op-
pose the execution of the laws, af-
ter the company having gained the
land from time to time in the cir-
cuit court, and though publica-
tions had been repeatedly made in
newspapers, nearly of the same
tenor.

William B. Irish, Esq., the de-
puty marshal, left this town early
last week to execute writs of pos-
session, in favour of the Pennsyl-
vania Population company, for
lands recovered in the district
court of the United States from
certain actual settlers in Beaver
county. With this intention he
left Greersburgh on Wednesday
last, accompanied by Enion Wil-
liams, Esq. agent of said com-
pany, George Holdship, Esq., and
Mr. James Hamilton; they had
not proceeded more than two
miles, and were just entering on
the farm of William Foulke, one
of the persons to be dispossessed,
when they were fired on by some
persons concealed in a thicket of
bushes, and James Hamilton was
killed. It is said four guns were
fired, no doubt with the intention
of killing the whole party, as
threats to that effect had been
made.

Information had been given to
the marshal, that a party of forty
men had collected at Foulke's, in
order to prevent him from per-

forming his duty; the marshal
considered this a mere threat to
intimidate him from proceeding,
and could not think it possible that
any men would so far forget their
duty as citizens as to oppose the
laws of their country with force of
arms, and bring inevitable des-
truction on themselves and fami-
lies.

The marshal and the other two
gentlemen returned to Greers-
burgh, and made depositions of the
fact.

At the request of the marshal,
an attempt was made by the she-
riff and other influential charac-
ters to raise the posse commita-
tus, to apprehend the suspected
persons, and enable the marshal
to do his duty, but without effect,
and the marshal returned to this
place on Thursday evening.

Mr. Irish made the following
deposition on the occasion:

Alleghany county, 88.

On the 25th day of September,
1807, before me, E. Denny, a jus-
tice of the peace in and for the
county of Alleghany, personally
appeared William B. Irish, depu-
ty marshal in the Pennsylvania
district, who, being duly sworn ac-
cording to law, on his solemn
oath doth depose and say, that on
Wednesday, about ten o'clock, the
23d instant, being in company
with Enion Williams, George
Holdship, Esq., and James Ha-
milton, on their way to the place of
William Foulke, in Beaver coun-
ty, to execute a writ of habere fa-
cias possessionem in the case of
Robert Bowne against William
Foulke, they were fired upon at the
entrance of said Foulke's lane, by
persons concealed in a thicket of
bushes by the road side. This
deponent heard three if not four
reports of guns; directly after,

―314―

this deponent heard James Ha-
milton call to him, saying, sheriff,
I am gone, and instantly he fell
from his horse to the ground.
This deponent got off his horse,
and called to his other two com-
panions that Hamilton was killed;
they then rode up to the place,
but did not light down. Said de-
ponent then raised Hamilton to
his seat, and in a minute or two he
expired; said deponent then laid
Hamilton down on his back, put
his hat over his face, and got on
horseback and rode back in com-
pany with his surviving com-
panions with all speed to Greers-
burgh, and made oath of the fact
before John Johnston, Esq., of
Beaver county.

New York, September 11.——On
Monday afternoon last, a small
sail boat, with four persons in it,
upset opposite fort Lee, when un-
fortunately Mr. Edward Day, of
this city, aged nineteen, was
drowned. What renders this cir-
cumstance particularly affecting,
is that his mother and relatives
were on the shore waiting in
anxious expectation for his return,
when the boat upset. Thus in
the bloom of life his mother has
lost a dutiful son, and the com-
munity one whose virtues bid fair
to render him an honour to socie-
ty; his numerous qualities en-
deared him to all who knew him,
and his friends and relations will
long deplore his untimely fate.

Albany, September 5.——On
Friday morning, at eighteen mi-
nutes before seven o'clock, the
North river steam-boat left New
York, landed one passenger at
Tarry-town, and arrived at New-
berg at four o'clock in the after-
noon, landed a passenger there,

and arrived at Clermont, where
two passengers were landed, at fif-
teen minutes before two o'clock in
the morning, and arrived at Al-
bany at three quarters of an hour
past ten, making the whole time
twenty-eight and a half hours;
distance 165 miles. The wind
favourable but light from Ver
Plank's point to Wapping's
creek; the remainder of the way
it was a head wind, or a dead
calm.

The passengers on board the
above boat, on her first pas-
sage as a packet, think it but
justice to state, that the accom-
modations and convenience on
board exceeded their most san-
guine expectations.

Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Sept.
11.——On the 3d instant, at about
three o'clock, P M., there com-
menced one of the heaviest rains
recollected, which continued until
two o'clock the next morning, ac-
companied with vivid lightning,
which descended like sheets of li-
quid fire, and with tremendous
peals of thunder. The scene was
grand and majestic, fit to strike
the mind of the beholder with re-
verence and awe. The fury of the
storm was chiefly felt along the
Loyalhanna. That creek over-
flowed its banks from ten to seven-
teen feet higher than ever before
known. The torrent rushed with
such impetuousity as seemed to
threaten all before it. We are
not able to enter into a detail of in-
dividual losses. Every bridge
on the creek has been swept
away, except Baldridge's, the
greater part of which remains.
All the mills on the creek have
sustained considerable injury;
and a horse-mill, a fulling-mill,
an oil-mill, a still-house and stills,

―315―

and a number of cabins, with
household furniture, were entirely
carried off. Several horses, and
a number of hogs, sheep, &c.,
were drowned; and some fine
fields of corn, along the rich bot-
toms adjacent to the creek, were
entirely destroyed. The creek
rose with such rapidity, that, at
Baldridge's, the miller, his wife,
and another person had to take
shelter in the top of a walnut tree,
where they remained all night, un-
der the dreadful apprehension
every moment of being swept
away by the impetuous torrent.
The barn of the widow Fisher,
on Sowickly, was struck by the
lightning, and with all its contents
consumed.

New London. Sept. 13.——On
Thursday se'nnight the trial of
Harry Miles, an Indian, for the
murder of his wife, came on be-
fore the superior court in the city
of New London. Messrs. Spald-
ing and Lanman were counsel for
the state, and Messrs. Goddard,
Hart, and Law counsel for the
prisoner. The trial lasted till the
following evening, when the cause
was committed to the jury, who
on Thursday morning returned a
verdict of guilty. On Saturday
the prisoner received sentence of
death, and the day of his execution
we learn is fixed on the 4th of
November. The court closed its
session on Saturday.

Philadelphia, Sept. 16.——By
the weekly bills of mortality, pub-
lished by the board of health of
Philadelphia, and by the corpora-
tion of New York, the following
is a statement of deaths for the
last eight months; that is, from
Saturday the 27th of December,
1806, to Saturday the 29th of Au-
gust last, viz.:

The population of Philadelphia
and its vicinity, within the bills of
mortality, is supposed to be
120,000. The population of New
York, within similar bounds, is
said to have been ascertained to be
82,000, but say 90,000, then
Philadelphia, with the same degree
of health as New York, would
have ⅓ more deaths than New
York, whereas Philadelphia has
1/9 less total deaths, and nearly
⅓ less deaths by consumption; or,
in other words, New York has ½
more deaths by consumption than
Philadelphia, and ⅛ more of total
deaths.

Baltimore, Sept. 18.——The
Baltimore brigade of volunteers,
consisting of the 5th regiment,
commanded by colonel Macken-
heimer, 6th do. by colonel Biays,
27th do. by colonel Lowry, 39th
do. by colonel Mosher, the whole
under the command of brigadier-
general Stricker, was yesterday
reviewed at Whetstone Point,
about a mile from this city, by
governor Wright, commander in
chief of the militia of Maryland.

The whole number under arms

―316―

is supposed to amount to 2200
men, completely equipped, of
which there were four troops of
horse, two excellent companies of
artillery, and five of riflemen. The
whole made a most grand and
beautiful appearance; and when
it is considered that four months
since there was not a single orga-
nized company in this city, and
that by far the greater part of the
men, as well as the officers, were
entirely unacquainted with milita-
ry tactics, it must be acknowledg-
ed their manœuvres were astonish-
ingly correct.

The day was very unfavourable
for the review. On Sunday there
was an appearance of rain, but
yesterday morning came on a
strong gale from the north-west,
which, while it chilled by its ex-
cessive coldness, raised prodigious
columns of dust, and rendered the
situation, as well of the volunteers
as the spectators, most uncomfort-
able. This, however, did not im-
pede the exercises of the day,
which continued until about four
o'clock in the afternoon, when the
line of march was taken up, and
the whole brigade entered into
the city, amidst the approbation
and plaudits of thousands of spec-
tators.

On Wednesday the 16th Sep-
tember, between four and five
o'clock, P. M., owing to the in-
correctness of the charts, the ship
Argo, after encountering heavy
squalls and baffling winds, struck
upon a reef of coral, about three
or four leagues to the eastward
of the Little Isaac rock, which
was merely discernible from the
mast head. The look-out, not
only on deck but aloft, had been
strictly attended to, and the lead
was constantly cast, as the ship
was in ten fathoms water a few

minutes before she struck. The
current, which was unusually
strong, so immediately shifted
the ship's place, after she had
cleared the first rock, that with
unremitted labour in sounding
with the boats in every direction,
we could find no channel suffi-
ciently deep by which to take the
ship out; and in this situation,
after many fruitless attempts
both in warping and sailing to
clear the reef, every hour drift-
ing upon a different rock, we
staid by her nearly three days
and nights, when she finally beat
with such force that she bilged,
and we left her with nine feet
water in her hold. The boats,
which had been previously pre-
pared, were hauled along side,
and the captain, together with
Mr. Courtauld, and Mr. Whar-
ton, the second officer, and six
hands, got into the long boat,
and the first officer with five
hands into the pinnace, both
boats intending to stand for the
Great Isaac rock, a distance of
about forty miles. The long-
boat was driven by head winds
and a lee current to the edge
of the gulf, and did not make
the Great Isaac until Satur-
day afternoon; the pinnace,
meeting with the same winds
and current, was swept further
into the gulf stream, and re-
mained there until Monday,
when she was descried by the
ship Comet, captain Charles
Dixey, on board of which was
the honourable Mr. Daniel
Clarke, the owner, who, when
he was made acquainted with the
disaster of the Argo, judging
that the long boat had reached
the Great Isaac rock, humanely
stood for the relief of the crew
until Thursday, when they were

―317―

discovered by the tent on the
rock, and about noon were taken
off. In the attempt to relieve
them the Comet met with heavy
gales of wind, which, situated as
she then was, endangered her
safety considerably: but Mr.
Clarke (undismayed by the ap-
pearance of a hurricane, which
for several days had threatened
to blow, and which from the
period of the year was looked
for) resolutely determined to
restore to their friends and fami-
lies ten grateful beings, who ac-
knowledge him, under God, their
generous deliverer.

To captain Dixey, also, whose
exertions aided the wishes of Mr.
Clarke, they tender their sincer-
est thanks, and trust, as he mer-
its, so will he receive the appro-
bation of every friend to humani-
ty; particularly his attention
whilst on board his ship.

It may not be improper in this
place to add, although no addi-
tional proof of Mr. Clarke's ex-
alted benevolence can be requir-
ed, that he had in the Comet
property to the amount of 100,000
dollars, which was jeopardized
when he deviated from his course;
and to the honour of the pub-
lic insurance offices, as well as
the private underwriters of Phi-
ladelphia, let it be told, that they
unanimously declared their will-
ingness to sustain the loss, if any
occurred by reason of the said
deviation; approving in the high-
est terms the generous and no-
ble conduct of this worthy man.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
September 29.——A comet was
discovered one evening last week
by D. M. Durrell, Esq., of Dover,
and is visible soon after sunset,
when it appears a few degrees
north of west, and from two

to three hours high above the
horizon. The tail of this comet
is very large, and is on the side
directly opposite the sun. The
comet may be easily seen by the
naked eye, and by the great
glare of light issuing from the
tail may be readily distinguished
from the stars. It is about as
large as a star of the first magni-
tude.

It is evident that the orbit of
this comet has never been as-
certained by astronomers, for
none was expected at this time.

Boston, September 30.——For
several evenings a comet has
been visible in our hemisphere,
and has attracted the attention of
many star-gazers. It can be seen
with the naked eye. We are not
astronomers enough to describe
its situation scientifically; but it
is now passing through the con-
stellation of the Virgin. Last
evening it appeared about thirty
degrees above the horizon, near-
ly west north-west; and set just
after eight o'clock. Being east-
ward of the sun, and setting after
it, it is called a bearded comet;
and is receding from the sun.

Nantucket, September 26.——Af-
ter many days of thick and cloudy
weather, on the 24th instant the
atmosphere became clear; at
about 7h., P. M., I discovered
a comet in the western part of
the heavens. Being from home
at the time, before I reached
home there had formed a haze
near the horizon, that nearly ob-
scured the comet; therefore did
not make any observations that
night. 25th. Some clouds; the
comet appeared, but not until
Saturn, with his ring had been
distinctly seen for some time,
notwithstanding Saturn was with-
in the day-light. After the comet

―318―

appeared, I had only time to
take with a sextant the distance
between the comet and Arctau-
rus, which was 23° 30′; and the
distance between the comet and
Lyra, which was 69° 23′; after
which it was obscured by clouds.
The observations were made at
7h. 15m., P. M. 26th, at 6h.
45m., P. M., distance between
the comet and Arctaurus was
22° 52′, and the distance between
the comet and Lyra was 68° 2′.

The comet which has appear-
ed in the arctic regions of the
heavens during several nights
past, is in the lower extremity
of Virgo. Its right ascension
and declination we may shortly
expect to be informed of, as our
correspondent who favoured us
with this general account pre-
tends not to that knowledge
which is requisite to establish
its precise location at a given
period.

Salem.——A comet has been
seen in the western part of our
hemisphere for four or five even-
ings past. We do not hear that
any astronomical observation of
it has been made in this place.
It is retiring from the sun; and,
as its apparent motion is slow, it
will probably be seen for several
evenings.

Hudson, New York, September
29.——A Comet has been seen in
the S. W. for four or five nights
past, setting rather before nine
o'clock. Its apparent size is
about that of a star of the first
magnitude, and its tail compa-
ratively about 2 ½ or 3 yards
long. The haziness of the atmo-
sphere in that quarter has pre-
vented very exact observations:
but as it is supposed to set later
each succeeding night, future
opportunities will be assiduously

employed in noting its motion,
course, &c., which will be com-
municated. Others are invited
to do likewise.

Staatsburg, September 30.——
Observing, yesterday evening
(says a writer of this place), an
unusual illumination in the vici-
nity of one of the stars in the
west, I immediately conceived
the idea of its being occasioned
by a comet. Accordingly, re-
viewing the object through a 3 ½
foot Dolland, both the nucleus
and tail were very plainly dis-
covered. The former exhibited
an appearance something similar
to that of Mars viewed through
a telescope, except that it was
much more obscure. The latter
was well defined, and apparently
curved, extending considerably
further than the breadth of the
field.

From the haziness of the at-
mosphere, and the short space of
time intervening between its first
discovery and its sinking below
the horizon, no observation, with
regard to its plan, could be made
with precision.

When first seen, which was
about seven o'clock, it bore nearly
west, and, at its setting, 30 mi-
nutes after 8, its amplitude was
N. 35 W.

There can be no possible dif-
ficulty, however, in discovering
it any time after sun-set, without
the assistance of a glass; and, in
consequence of its great distance
from the sun, we shall have an
opportunity of observing it for a
considerable time yet.

Unpredicted and unexpected,
this comet will supply the astro-
nomers with new topics of spe-
culation on the laws and motions
of this hitherto mysterious and
incomprehensible species of

―319―

planetary bodies. That any thing
more satisfactory than our pre-
decessors have advanced will be
the result is scarcely to be sup-
posed.

Those, however, who may be
under apprehensions with regard
to their “dear, dear little globe,”
are advertised that they have at
least very little to fear from the
attack of the present formidable
intruder.

The apparent curvation of the
the tail demonstrates that it does
not move in the plane of the
ecliptic. Such as are possessed
of proper instruments will natu-
rally endeavour to ascertain its
distance, and the rapidity of its
motion.

It will be remembered, that
about the 1st of Oct. a duel was
fought between captain Gordon,
of the United States frigate Che-
sapeake, and Dr. Stark, a physi-
cian of Norfolk. It was one of
the preliminary arrangements,
that, if either party should fire
before the word was given, the
adversary's second should im-
mediately fire at the one thus
offending. The moment a shot
was exchanged without effect on
either side, lieutenant Crane,
second to captain Gordon, step-
ped forward, declared that Dr.
Stark had fired before the word,
and immediately shot him
through the arm. Mr. M'Conico,
the doctor's second, then pre-
sented to fire at Crane, when
captain Gordon, levelling his pis-
tol at M'Conico's head, exclaim-
ed, desist, or you perish. An al-
tercation took place, the result
of which was, that M'Conico
challenged Gordon on the
ground.

The duel between these per-
sons was fought on the 2d inst.,

in North Carolina. The first
shot was exchanged at eight
paces distance, without injury.
The second, at six, took effect.
Mr. M'Conico was slightly
wounded in the thigh; and cap-
tain Gordon received a wound
in the lower extremities of the
body, from which there is no
probability of his recovering.

New York, October 3.——Mr.
Fulton's steam-boat is hand-
somely fitted up for the convey-
ance of passengers between this
city and Albany. She left here
yesterday morning with ninety
passengers.

On Thursday night the wind
began to blow with great violence
from N. E., and continued with
unabated fury all day yesterday.
The tide rose to an unusual
height, overflowing the cellars
along the river. Considerable
damage was done.

The gale was very severe at
Staten island. The United States'
ketch Ætna parted both cables
at two o'clock yesterday morn-
ing, and was beating to and fro
till seven o'clock, when Mr.
Daniel Van Duzer got on board
from the ferry at the risk of his
life, and carried her safe into
North-east harbour, up the Kills,
where he run her a-ground in a
safe place. M. Van Duzer, by
this act, will, no doubt, be hand-
somely rewarded by government
for saving one of the finest ves-
sels in our navy. The same day
the brig George, of New-Orleans,
parted her cables, and went
ashore at Van Duzer's dock, not
much damaged; and the schoon-
er Maria went ashore near the
public stores, considerably in-
jured.

Philadelphia, October 3.——The
court of quarter sessions for the

―320―

county of Philadelphia, after sit-
ting two weeks for the trial of
persons charged with felonies and
misdemeanors, adjourned to the
ensuing Monday, to hear prentice
cases, and losses arising under
the poor laws.

During their session, a num-
ber of persons were tried for as-
sault and battery, and other mis-
demeanors. The following per-
sons were tried for felony:

John Lear, indicted for steal-
ing a horse, the property of Da-
vid Davis, pled guilty on the
charge of receiving the horse
knowing him to be stolen, and
was sentenced to pay a fine of one
dollar to the commonwealth, and
to imprisonment at hard labour
for one year.

John Lear was also indicted for
stealing a riding chair, the pro-
perty of Nathan Levering; and
pled guilty on the charge of re-
ceiving it knowing it to be sto-
len, and was sentenced to pay a
fine of one dollar, and to impri-
sonment at hard labour for one
year.

John Harris, indicted for steal-
ing a silver watch, the property
of Elijah Evanson, was acquitted
by the jury.

John Harris was also indicted
for stealing a silver watch, the
property of Jacob Evanson, and
was acquitted by the jury.

Harriot Field, otherwise call-
ed Harriot Blackburne, indicted
for stealing sundry articles, the
property of Catharine Cole, was
convicted by the jury and senten-
ced to six months imprisonment
at hard labour.

Harriot Field was indicted also
for stealing sundry articles, the
property of Jane Curtis, was
found guilty, and sentenced to
hard labour for six months.

―321―

Sarah Rees, indicted for steal-
ing a variety of articles, the pro-
perty of Margaret Steinen, was
convicted by the jury, and sen-
tenced to four months imprison-
ment at hard labour.

Isaac Morgan and Maria Col-
lins were indicted for stealing for-
ty-one pounds and a half of rags,
the property of George Hembolt,
and, upon conviction by the jury,
were severally sentenced to im-
prisonment at hard labour for
three months.

James M'Mullan, indicted for
stealing one piece of nankeen, the
property of Rebecca Joint, was
convicted by the jury, and sen-
tenced to three months imprison-
ment at hard labour.

Alexander Campbell was in-
dicted for stealing two jackets,
the property of Arthur M'Ginnis,
and, on conviction, received sen-
tence to undergo imprisonment
at hard labour for three months.

Kitty Spencer, for stealing sun-
dry articles, the property of Har-
riot Newton, was found guilty,
and sentenced to imprisonment
at hard labour for nine months.

Catharine Brown was acquitted
by the jury, upon an indictment
for stealing a bed cover, the pro-
perty of George Smith.

Phœbe Macpherson, convicted
of stealing a 20 dollar bank note,
the property of George Merwine,
which she had procured by means
of a bunch of keys, stolen from a
family in which she had formerly
lived, was sentenced to imprison-
ment at hard labour for one year.

John Jarranum and George
Wright, indicted for stealing a
coat, the property of Robert Ro-
gers, were both found guilty by
the jury, and severally sentenced
to one month imprisonment at
hard labour.

Edward Allen and Caleb Jack-
son, indicted for stealing a gilt
watch and chain, were both con-
victed, and sentenced to undergo
severally an imprisonment at hard
labour for three months.

William Divine, charged with
stealing a gun, the property of
David Campbell, was acquitted
by the jury.

Lavinia O'Donnel was convict-
ed by the jury of stealing sundry
articles, the property of Elizabeth
Reed, and was sentenced to four
months imprisonment at hard la-
bour.

William Johnson was indicted
for stealing sundry articles, the
property of Robert Chace, and, on
conviction by the jury, was sen-
tenced to four months imprison-
ment at hard labour.

Tobias Livergood was charged
with stealing 1 dollar and 75 cents
in money, the property of Ulrick
Rookstool, and was acquitted by
the jury.

Mary Parsons was convicted by
the jury of stealing one hundred
and ten quarts of milk, the pro-
perty of Edward M'Grody, and
was sentenced to one month im-
prisonment at hard labour.

New York, Oct. 6.——There is
not an article of commerce that
more strongly proves the rapid
progress of the domestic manu-
factures of the United States than
shumach. Ten years ago shu-
mach was exported from New
London to a considerable extent;
but its high freight, and its infe-
riority to the shumach from the
Levant, depressed it so much in
the English markets, that its ma-
nufacture at New London was dis-
continued. The Sicily shumach,
either by climate, culture, or ma-
nipulation, is vastly superior to
the shumach of the eastern

states, the quantity of spinning
principle it contains being in its
favour in the proportion of four to
one. It may, I believe, be pur-
chased at Catania, Messina, or
Palermo, at eight dollars per ton;
and would amply reward the im-
porter to the United States, as
our own shumach, which is poor,
and becoming very scarce, now
sells at forty-five dollars per ton.

A person calling his name Da-
niel Wilbur, of Westmoreland,
N. H., but last from Canada, has
been taken up at Windsor (Ver-
mont), in the fashionable traffic of
passing counterfeit bills, and com-
mitted to the jail in Wood-
stock. Counterfeit bills to a
large amount were found in his
pocket.

Columbia, Penn., October 6.——
Last night about 8 o'clock, a
shocking accident took place here.
A boy of Mr. Broomfield's went
into the store, and got too near the
powder keg with the candle, and
by a spark from it an awful ex-
plosion took place, which burnt
the boy so much, that he died
this morning. Mr. Broomfield's
store was in the two story brick
house on the corner of the lot
next to Mr. Miller's; the front
and most of the end of the house
was blown up, with every article
in the store; the windows of most
of the adjoining houses were
broke, some at the distance of
sixty yards. Two women and
three children were got out of the
ruins after the house had fallen,
and providentially without receiv-
ing any material injury.

New-London, C., October 7.——
A comet has been observed in
our hemisphere for near a fort-
night past. It appears after sun-
set in the northern part of the
constellation Virgo. From obser-

―322―

vation with the naked eye, it is
found to be receding from the sun,
in a direction a little northward
of east. Its altitude above the
horizon, last evening, when first
visible, was about 40 degrees.
We must depend upon those who
have leisure and instruments for
information respecting the posi-
tion of its orbit, and the time of its
disappearance.

On Friday morning last, about
2 o'clock, the mail stage, travel-
ing without any lights from New-
York, was overturned on the
bridge at East-Haven; and the
passengers, eight in number, were
cast into the water, about twelve
feet below the floor of the bridge.
It being quite dark, their lives
were with the utmost difficulty
saved, by tearing through the
side of the carriage, and swim-
ming to the shore.

It is necessary to inform the
public that this is the second time
the mail stage on that route has
been overturned in one week;
and that the cause of the dangers
which travellers must expect to
encounter on that line is the
scandalous negligence of the pro-
prietors, in not providing good
and sufficient lamps for their
night carriages, and trusting the
lives of passengers to unskilful,
furious, and insolent drivers.

Philadelphia, October 10.——Be-
tween the hours of eleven and
twelve, a barn, supposed to con-
tain twenty tons of excellent hay,
the property of Peter Browne &
Son, at Kensington, in the North-
ern Liberties, was set on fire by
two thoughtless wicked boys, who
were amusing themselves with
the explosion of gun-powder,
which they touched with a lighted
segar. The barn and all its con-

tents were consumed. The fire
was truly alarming, but by the
great and well merited exertions of
the inhabitants of the neighbour-
hood, women as well as men, who
turned out with alacrity, and to
whom much praise is due, the
fire was stopped, after having
materiaily injured one other
building and its contents, and two
or three other buildings partially,
and injuring a large quantity of
fencing.

On the 28th September, at the
same place, and about the same
hour of the day, a barrack with
all its contents was consumed,
supposed to have originated from
a similar cause.

Portland, October 10.——Stephen
Burroughs, the noted villain, is
again taken, through the vigilance
of Charles Kilbourne, Esq., of
Stanstead, in Canada, and Mr.
Eliphalet Bangs, of Derby, in
Vermont. Mr. Bangs is now in
town, and has communicated the
following particulars:

On the 27th of September,
being in search for Burroughs
near his house in Stanstead, we
were informed that he was at
home. We accordingly repaired
to his house immediately, and
saw him jump out of a window,
and go to his barn. We then
surrounded the barn, and sent for
a magistrate, who came to our
assistance with several other men.
On tearing off some of the boards,
we discovered the place where he
was concealed, which was in a
small room built up under the
hay. There was a hole in the
hay, ten or twelve feet in length,
through which Mr. Kilbourne en-
tered, and found the villain, who
snapped his pistols several times
at Kilbourne, but providentially

―323―

they missed fire, and the wretch
was taken, and sent under a strong
detachment of men to Montreal.

A large amount of counterfeit
money was taken with him, forg-
ed on the Maine bank, Cheshire
bank, Nantucket Pacific bank,
and the Farmer's Exchange bank
at Gloucester, together with a
quantity of paper, rollers, &c.

Elizabethtown, October 13.——
Cornelius Hatfield, an obnoxious
refugee character, who came here
a short time since from England,
via Nova Scotia, to possess a va-
luable landed estate left him by
his father, was apprehended by
the civil authority last week, and
conveyed to Newark gaol, on a
charge of being a principal in the
brutal murder of Stephen Ball, a
citizen of this state, during our
revolutionary war, who went in-
to the British lines under assu-
rances of protection; and, on
Thursday last, was brought be-
fore judge Pennington on a writ of
habeas corpus. Aaron Ogden,
Isaac H. Williamson, and Wil-
liam Chetwood, Esqrs., appeared
on the part of the culprit; and
Alexander C. M'Whorter, Wil-
liam Halsey, and Elias Van Ars-
dol, Esqrs., on the part of the pro-
secution, when, after a patient
hearing of the argument on both
sides until yesterday, the judge
discharged Hatfield, being of opi-
nion, by the spirit of the treaty
of 1783, he was not now answer-
able for that transaction; but we
hear that the friends of Ball are
still determined to prosecute him
before another tribunal. To cor-
rect erroneous statements, which
are gone abroad, we publish the
following authentic document
given at the time the transaction
took place:

A statement of facts respecting

the deliberate and cruel murder
of Stephen Ball, on Bergen point,
the 25th of January, 1781. This
unfortunate man was deluded by
a declaration made by the com-
manding officer on Staten island,
that all persons who would bring
provisions should have liberty to
sell the same, and return unmo-
lested; in consequence of which
declaration, Ball carried over four
quarters of beef, with a full assur-
ance of being well treated, and
expected to return undiscovered
by his countrymen; but soon af-
ter his arrival on the island he
was seized by Cornelius Hatfield,
who commanded a party of six or
seven men, and was carried before
general Patterson, who refused to
call a court martial to try him.
From thence he was carried be-
fore general Skinner, in order for
trial, but he also refused, pre-
tending to shudder at the thought
of trying and executing a person
who came to bring them relief.
Nevertheless the said Hatfield
and his party, being lost to every
sense of humanity, after robbing
their prisoner of what property
he had with him, carried him a-
cross to Bergen point, and, with-
out even the form of a trial, im-
mediately informed him that he
had but ten minutes to live, and
accordingly put their horrid de-
sign into execution, notwithstand-
ing the prisoner strenuously urg-
ed that he came with provisions,
agreeably to the above-mentioned
declaration; and when he found
they were determined to take his
life, he begged for a few minutes
longer, but was answered that his
request could not be granted;
but if he had a desire that any
person should pray with him, one
of their party would officiate.
When he was near expiring,

―324―

James Hatfield, one of the ban-
ditti, put a knife in his hand, and
swore that he should not go into-
another world unarmed. The
persons who perpetrated this cru-
el act were Cornelius Hatfield,
John Smith Hatfield, Job Hat-
field, James Hatfield, sen., James
Hatfield, jun., Elias Mann, and
Samuel Mann, all late inhabit-
ants of Elizabethtown; and Job
Smith, late an inhabitant of Ber-
gen. When Ball's father became
acquainted with the tragical death
of his son, he solicited a flag,
which he obtained, for the pur-
pose of bringing over the corpse,
but the enemy, with a savage
brutality, would not suffer them
to land.

List of vessels in the port of Phi-
ladelphia.

• 66 Ships,
• 57 Brigs,
• 59 Schooners,
• 90 Sloops,
• 13 Ships on the stocks.

Pittsburg, October 13, 1807.——
A few days after James Hamilton
was murdered at William Foulke's
farm, as mentioned in the gazette
of the 29th ult., a young man of
the name of Nathaniel Aitkin was
apprehended, as being concerned
in the murder, and after examina-
tion committed to the jail of Bea-
ver county for trial.

On Saturday night, the 3d inst.,
about nine o'clock, an armed party,
consisting of eight or nine men,
came to the jail, two of them en-
tered it, and presented a cocked
gun at the breast of the jailor,
commanding him to open the door
of the room in which Aitkin was
confined, and set him at liberty,
swearing that if he refused they
would put him to death, and also
threatened to kill his wife, if she

made the least noise. The jailor,
intimidated by their threats, open-
ed the door, the prisoner escaped,
and has not since been heard of.

A letter has been found, ad-
dressed to Mr. James Fowler (a
relation of the girl that gave tes-
timony against Aitkin), advising
him to send her out of the country,
as nothing less can save himself
and property from destruction.
The following is a copy of the let-
ter:

“Sir, send immediately away
that informer from your house, or
immediate and complete devasta-
tion will come on your property
and person. Send her out of the
country: the secret band is too
numerous and bloody to let you
harbour her many days longer.
Eakin appears to be made guilty:
I am your friend, and have got a
hint of the plot againt you: no-
thing can save you but clearing
her out. Do as you may, I have
warned you of your danger, I am
clear of what may come on you
by the blood-stained hands of the
new reared Mohawks and Shawa-
nese Indians. Thy friend adds
no more, but remains,

“tom the tinker.”

Under the letter is the repre-
sentation of two guns, lying cross-
ways; indicating the kind of
weapons that would be made use
of against Mr. Fowler, in case he
did not comply with the threats
contained in it. We have under-
stood that he was obliged to send
the girl away, being fully pursuad-
ed that the threats contained in
the letter would be put in execu-
tion.

Brooklyn, Long island, Octo-
ber 21.——On Friday night an at-
tempt was made by some villains
confined in the criminal apartment
of the prison at Flatbush, to make

―325―

their escape. They had taken up
the floor, and had perforated to
the outside boarding of the build-
ing. The sheriff, Mr. Birdsall,
being sent for, arrived in time to
prevent their escape, entered the
room, and confined the ringleaders
in irons. It appears, that the
prisoners had their superiors in
atrocity, waiting to assist in the
enterprize. As Mr. Birdsall was
on his way to Brooklyn, a sangui-
nary ruffian fired at him in a so-
litary part of the road, and the
ball passed through the crown of
his hat, grazing the top of his
head. Search was made for the
culprit, but without effect.

On Tuesday se'nnight, a court
martial was held on board the
ketch Vesuvius, lying in the Wal-
labout, for the trial of a marine,
who had been guilty of the high-
est crime in the military or marine
code, desertion from his post, and
seducing others from their duty.
The sentence has not transpired.
We understand that it has been
transmitted to the secretary of the
navy for his decision.

Fredericksburgh, October 19.——
This day, about twelve o'clock, a
fire commenced in the house of
William Stanard (who died at
two this morning). It continued to
rage with unabated violence for
five hours; all one side of the
main street is reduced to ashes;
from James Ross's to Mrs. Heath's,
sixty houses are reduced to ashes.
The flames are nearly subsided.
Two hundred men will guard the
town to night; indeed no one will
sleep. We ought not to repine,
many have lost their all.

Information received this morn-
ing from Washington states the
loss at 500,000 dollars. From
the situation of the bank, as des-
cribed to us by a gentleman of

Virginia, and the silence of the
above letter respecting it, we hope
it has escaped the conflagration.

Easton, Maryland, October
20.——On Sunday morning last, on
his return from Caroline county
court, judge Robins was shot
through the body by some un-
known assassin, in about three
miles from Denton, in company
with Josiah Bayley, Esq., in se-
parate carriages: a gun was dis-
charged containing two balls, one
of which passed through near
the shoulder blade, and came out
at the left breast; the other ball
grazed his ear; from the direc-
tion, the person must have ad-
vanced into the road to fire, and
retreated under cover of a thick
wood. With the assistance of
Mr. Bayley, judge Robins was
able to reach the residence of a
gentleman in the neighbourhood,
with the loss of much blood;
where, we understand, his wound
was examined, and flattering
hopes entertained of its not being
mortal. Circumstantial evidence
is strong against a certain ———,
who some time since made his es-
cape from Worcester county, to
avoid the penalty of the law, to the
state of Delaware, where it is un-
derstood he has changed his name.
He some time since wrote a very
insulting letter to judge Robins,
for his vigilance in having him
brought to justice, in which he
threatened the judge with ven-
geance; to strengthen said suspi-
cion it has since been ascertained,
that a stranger was lurking about
Denton during the court, with a
pair of pistols and and a gun, who
frequently inquired of the serv-
ants when the judges would go
home. The citizens of Delaware
would do justice to society to be
vigilant in hunting out such a cha-

―326―

racter. Great credit is due the
citizens near where the deed was
perpetrated, for their alacrity in
pursuing the perpetrator, which
we hope may be crowned with
success, in bringing to condign
punishment so hardened a villain.

It is with reluctance that we
record villany in any shape; but
it is with particular regret that
we notice the following daring as-
sault committed within the limits
of Washington city: on Tuesday
evening, about dusk, on his re-
turn from visiting a friend in
New Jersey avenue, on the brow
of the hill, Mr. Elzey Burroughs
was attacked by two foot-pads,
who presented pistols on each side
of him, and demanded his money;
on his answering that he had none,
one of them replied, “you are a
liar, sir; it is in a bundle of papers
in your pocket;” and at the same
time put his hand into Mr. Bur-
roughs' pocket, and drawing from
it a bundle of papers, took off the
money in bank notes to the
amount of $2400, which he had
that day received from the bank
in the city. We understand that
no trace is yet discovered of the
perpetrators of this outrage.

Fredericksburg, Oct. 21.——On
Monday, at twelve o'clock, the
house formerly belonging to Mrs.
Carter, in this town, was discover-
ed to be on fire. The corpse of
Mr. William Stanard, the more
recent proprietor, had not been
sent to its earthly home, when a
sick and mourning family were
driven, by a new calamity, with
the remains of a parent and a hus-
band, from the solitude of their
sorrows, to weep under the next
hospitable roof over their compli-
cated misfortunes. The house
was on an eminence, and a strong
wind from the north-west blew the

flames into the body of the town.
In the course of a few hours,
three of the best improved squares,
with parts of two others, were
stripped of all their improvements.
The rapidity of the fire, in the
horrors of its devastation through
houses highly combustible from
the operation of the late drought;
the consternation that prevailed,
destroying concert and presence
of mind in most of those who
were laboriously active; the in-
competency of the engines to
perform their offices with full ef-
fect, prevented many of the suf-
ferers from saving a great pro-
portion of their moveable proper-
ty. The upper tobacco ware-
house, with all the tobacco stored,
were consumed. A flake of burn-
ing matter was thrown on the
roof of the bank house, which
stood at the distance of two streets
from the general conflagration,
and so furious was the progress of
the flames, that all the books, pa-
pers, and money in the vaults were
of necessity exposed during the
whole of the fire to its action, but
have since been recovered entire.
Happily no human life was lost.

This awfully afflicting event
has bereft many families, some in
disease, at the entrance of winter,
of their only shelter and of their
all. The woes of the comfortless,
and of the suffering which per-
vades a greater part of Fredericks-
burg, calls aloud for contribution
from the opulent. The inhabi-
tants of this town were lately libe-
ral in their relief to the wretched
of Norfolk. A plan has been or-
ganized to furnish the benevolent
of the sister towns in Virginia,
and of the neighbouring country
with an opportunity of enjoying
that luxury which a pure bosom
feels in giving charity where me-

―327―

rit and distress combine to claim it.

Frankfort, Ken., Oct. 22.——
The undersigned the governor of
the Indiana territory, and superin-
tendant of Indian affairs, is happy
to have it in his power to inform
his fellow-citizens that there does
not at present exist the smallest
probability of an Indian war.
Confidential agents, whom he has
employed to visit the several
tribes, have lately returned, and
brought with them the result of
several meetings and councils
held by the chiefs, in all of which
it was unanimously determined to
preserve their relations of peace
and amity with the United States,
even if a war between us and
Great Britain should take place.

The few Indians upon the lakes
who are under the British influ-
ence are too contemptible in point
of number and character as war-
riors to undertake any hostile en-
terprize without the aid and con-
currence of the Indians of the
Wabash, who are decidedly for
peace. The undersigned pledges
himself for the peaceable disposi-
tion of the Delaware, Miami,
Wea, Piankeshaw, and Kickapoo
tribes.

william henry harrison.

Vincennes, Oct. 13th, 1807.

October 27, 1807.——The execu-
tion of Alpheus Hitchcock, con-
victed for the murder of his wife,
took place near the village of Ca-
zenovia, New York, on Friday last.
It was judged that there were
present, to witness the execution,
between 8 and 10,000 persons.

Exclusive of bay crafts and
others.

York, Pennsylvania, Oct. 29.——
At sun-set, on Tuesday evening,
three suns were seen perfectly
distinct. It is not a little remark-
able that so rare a phenomenon
should have been twice observed
in one year.

Richmond, Oct. 24.——Joseph
Moxley, formerly a midshipman
in the navy of the United States,
and who was summoned here, on
the part of the United States,
against Aaron Burr, put an end to
his existence on Wednesday last,
by swallowing a large dose of
laudanum.

Albany, October 20.——The co-
met is still visible in the western
horizon, every clear night, to the
naked eye. It is strange that
some astronomical character has
not yet made and given us some
observations on the appearance
of this “illustrious stranger.”——
Have we no American able to
mark its path, define its progress,
and hazard some ingenious cal-
culations respecting its course?
Must we wait for information on
the subject from Europe, if in-
deed it be visible there? Is the
study of the sublime sciences in
this country so ingulphed in poli-
tics and speculation, that no tra-
ces of them remain.

Although the comet has been
visible for about a month, it is not
ascertained, that we have heard,
whether it be approaching to or
receding from the sun. Though
our opinion is, that having past
its perihelion (or nearest dis-
tance to the sun) it is now slowly
receding to its aphelion (or far-
thest distance), through the im-
measurable distances of space,
and will gradually lessen to the
eye, until it becomes invisible to

―328―

us, in that part of the heavens
where it now appears.

To the theory of comets, as-
tronomy is yet almost a total
stranger. For although, from the
birth of Christ to the year 1783,
an eminent astronomer has noted
the appearance of 380, yet one
only can be mentioned whose pe-
riodical return is pretended to be
known, the revolution of which
is marked at 76 years. The first
recorded appearance of this co-
met is in the year 1531, its next
in 1607, again in 1682–3, when it
was observed by Halley, who first
determined its motion, and pre-
dicted its re-appearance in 1758,
which prediction was verified by
the event; consequently it will
again appear in the year 1803.

In this country, according to
our information and recollection,
the first comet noticed was in
1717, appearing in the west a-
bout two hours high at sun-set, the
nucleus small, with a white curved
train, visible about thirty days,
when it appeared to set with the
sun. The second in 1758; the
star large, bright, and shining, its
train apparently about two yards
and a half in length, very white
and brilliant; it appeared in the
west about three hours behind
the sun, which it approached till
it became invisible; it was seen
for about sixty days. The next,
in 1768, appeared in the east a-
bout two hours and an half before
the sun, the star small and dim,
the train about three yards long
and two feet wide to the sight,
but pale and sickly. It was seen
about twenty days, when it reced-
ed into the south, its train being
visible for some days after the
star itself was below the horizon.

In 1783, a comet was discover-

ed in the west, in the evening; it
was distinctly visible only by
glasses, appearing merely as a
blurr to the naked eye. It soon
became invisible.

By turning to the Crisis of June
2, may be seen an extract from a
Virginia paper, noticing the ap-
pearance of a comet, probably
the same which is now visible,
and was then on its approach to
the sun. Whether it has been
productive of those extraordinary
events, the earthquakes, the vol-
canic eruptions, unusual floods,
and tremendous tempests which
have been recently experienced in
this and some other countries, we
hazard not an opinion.

Lexington.——From Ohio, intel-
ligence of considerable import-
ance has been received: that the
Potawattomie, Winnapow, and
other Indians, to the number of
nine hundred, have assembled at
Grenville, on Mud river, Ohio.
The colonel of that part went to
them, for the purpose of ascertain-
ing their object and numbers.
The Indians refused to give him
any satisfaction on the subject.
He then went to the prophet, and
told him if he did not, he should
inform the government of his
country. He replied, “I care
not a d—n for you or the go-
vernment of your country; I can
blow you off the earth like sand
from my hand.” Six hundred of
the Kentucky militia had crossed
the Ohio at Limestone, command-
ed by gen. Scott, and five hun-
dred Ohio militia were required
to march, for the purpose of dis-
persing them.

It was reported at Chilicothe,
that 7000 Indians had cross-
ed the lakes, and that a number
of British agents were among

―329―

them, and it was supposed the
former were waiting until joined
by these others, when it was ex-
pected they would attack the
whites.

The noted counterfeiter, Ste-
phen Burroughs, who was lately
apprehended at Stantead, on con-
veying him to the gaol at Mon-
treal, for the fourth time made
his escape from his keepers!

New York, October 20.——Yes-
terday morning, about 5 o'clock, an
attempt was made to set fire to the
store No. 95, Water-street; for
this purpose a lighted brand was
placed in an aperture near the
wooden part of the structure, in
Gouverneur's lane, but was fortu-
nately discovered before it had ar-
rived to any height. A negro lad,
on whom heavy suspicious already
lay, of having been the author of
similar attempts in other parts of
the city, was at the time of disco-
very found near the spot. It is
said, that he pretended to have been
himself the detecter, but, on being
examined as to the object of so
early a visit that way, his answers
were very vague and unsatisfacto-
ry, and induced a belief that he was
the author of the deed. His ap-
prehension is a matter of expedien-
cy, and it is to be presumed will
not escape the vigilance of our po-
lice.

A match race, for one thousand
dollars a side, was run yesterday
over the course at Harlem, between
Mr. Bond's horse, First Consul,
and Mr. Terhune's, Tippoo Sul-
tan. At starting, the odds were
in favor of First Consul 20 to 15;
after the first heat, the bets were
even. Tippoo Sultan came off
the victor, winning both heats.
There was a very numerous, and
tolerably fashionable, concourse of
people on the ground.

Northampton, Mass., Oct. 28.——
On the 20th, this elegant and cost-
ly edifice was completed and open-
ed for public use, viz.: Hatfield
bridge.

After struggling, with uncom-
mon resolution, and for four years,
against every species of difficulty
and misfortune, this was truly a
proud and joyful event to the pro-
prietors. To the public at large
it was the cause of sincere gratifi-
cation.

A very large concourse of peo-
ple from the adjacent towns, to-
gether with the Hadley and Hat-
field bands of music, and captain
Breck's company of artillery, un-
der the command of lieut. Dwight,
joined with the proprietors in the
ceremonies and festivities of the
day.

At 11 o'clock, A. M., the corpo-
ration, with the artillery and music,
proceeded from Roberts' inn to the
meeting house, where an appro-
priate sermon was delivered, by
the Rev. Dr. Lyman, to a very
crowded audience. After the ser-
vices were concluded, the artillery
and music, gentlemen spectators,
the architect, the president, direc-
tors and corporation, and the reve-
rend clergy were formed in proces-
sion by the marshals of the day, and
marched to the bridge.

After passing and re-passing
the bridge in an inverted order,
under an alternate discharge of
artillery from the opposite banks
of the river, the procession return-
ed to White's inn, and partook of
a handsome entertainment. A few
appropriate toasts, with a discharge
of artillery, concluded the ceremo-
nies of the day.

August 25.——A singular circum-
stance was discovered on Friday
evening last, in Mr. John Bow-
man's barn, Cumberland county.

―330―

About 8 o'clock of that evening,
a young man, belonging to the fa-
mily, went, in order to put up a
horse in the stable; above, in the
foddering gang, he observed some-
thing that appeared to him like a
man, with fiery eyes, which he
thought was a spirit; but fixing a
resolution upon himself, with a
view to see what it really was, he
found, upon approaching the place,
that it was absolutely fire, issuing
through a small aperture in the
loft of the stable, which was after-
wards found to be made by the fire
(as the loft was otherwise closely
laid with boards). Upon further
examination, a large quantity of
hay, near the centre of the mow,
was found to be in a highly in-
flammable state, resembling that
of a coal pit on fire, which, so soon
as exposed to the external air, in-
stantly burst into a flame; but, by
the vigilance and good manage-
ment of Mr. Bowman's family,
and a few neighbours, the flame was
kept under, by throwing water on
the hay, and confining it from air,
as much as possible, until morn-
ing; by which time they had col-
lected more assistance. They then
undertook to remove the inflam-
mable hay, which was effected by
hauling it out on waggons into the
adjoining fields; this, however,
was done with much difficulty, as
it burned with great rapidity when
exposed to the air, in spite of eve-
ry precaution they were able to
take. They were even obliged to
overset the waggons once or twice,
to prevent them from being burn-
ed.

About the middle of June, Mr.
Bowman had put into the mow of
his barn about thirty tons of hay,
principally clover. The weather

not being very favourable for hay-
making, when endeavouring to
cure it, they ventured to put in pret-
ty green, on the supposition of salt
doing what remained to be done
by the sun. To effect this, he put
about half a bushel of salt to every
load: but all did not do; a strong
fermentation took place, which
was certainly the cause of it tak-
ing fire.

It is an incontrovertible proof,
that many barns, supposed to be
set on fire by mischievous persons,
take fire from the very same cause,
and in the same manner Mr. Bow-
man's would have done, had they
not been fortunate in discovering
the fire in the time they did.
Farmers should therefore be very
careful in curing their grain and
hay, before packed into their barns,
as it may otherwise be attended
with dangerous consequences. It
appears to many to be absolutely
impossible for hay or grain to
heat to that degree as to take fire.
But the above circumstance puts
every doubt on that subject com-
pletely at defiance.

Philadelphia, Oct. 1.——A comet
has for some evenings past been
observed in the constellation disk,
above the western horizon. On
the evening of Monday last, by
marking its relative situation with
respect to other stars, it appeared
to be very nearly on the equator,
and its right ascension about 14°
40″. On the following evening it
was again observed, and appears to
be nearly stationary. To the na-
ked eye it appears like an obscure
star of about the second magni-
tude, with a faintly lucid tail pro-
jecting a few degrees from its nu-
cleus. From its apparently slow
motion it is probable that it may

―331―

be visible for several succeeding
evenings. It now sets in the west
about 8 o'clock.

Charleston, S. C., Oct. 23.——
The influenza has become so pre-
valent, that it is supposed up-
wards of five thousand persons are
now afflicted with it in this city.
It has not as yet, so far as we can
learn, been attended with any mor-
tality.

Greatly as we have been dis-
tressed during the past summer
with oppressive heat, the ravages
of an uncontroulable disease, and a
stagnation of business, yet, under
the blessing of Providence, we have
made more luxuriant crops than
for many preceding years, and the
weather continued remarkably fa-
vourable for the gathering of them
in. We hope that no untoward
circumstance may prevent their
being sent to a profitable market.

There was a sharp frost in the
vicinity of the city last Monday
night.

New York, October 23.——Last
evening, between the hours of
nine and ten o'clock, a fire broke
out in the counting room of a
three story frame building on the
wharf at the foot of Dover-street,
occupied by Samuel Fitch as a
grain store. The flames had got
to a very considerable height be-
fore the discovery, and were not
extinguished until the whole of
the upper part of the building was
consumed. Fortunately there
were no houses immediately con-
tiguous, or the damage might
have been greatly extended.

Fredericksburgh (Vir.), Oc-
tober 21.——On Monday, at twelve
o'clock, the house formerly be-
longing to Mrs. Carter, in this
town, was discovered to be on
fire. The corpse of Mr. William
Stanard, the more recent proprie-

tor, had not yet been sent to its
earthly home, when a sick and
mourning family were driven by a
new calamity, with the remains of
a parent and a husband, from the
solitude of their sorrows, to weep
under the next hospitable roof,
over their complicated misfor-
tunes.

The house was on an eminence,
and a strong wind from the north-
west blew the flames into the bo-
dy of the town; in the course of a
few hours three of the best im-
proved squares, with parts of two
others, were stripped of all their
improvements. The rapidity of
the fire, in the horrors of its de-
vastation through houses highly
combustible from the operation of
the late drought, the consterna-
tion that prevailed, destroying
concert and presence of mind in
most of those who were laborious-
ly active, the incompetency of the
engines to perform their office
with full effect, prevented many
of the sufferers from saving a
great proportion of their move-
able property. The upper to-
bacco ware-houses, with all the to-
bacco stores, were consumed. A
flake of burning matter was
thrown on the roof of the bank-
house, which stood at the dis-
tance of two streets from the ge-
neral conflagration, and so furious
was the progress of the flames
that all the books, papers, and
money in the vaults were of ne-
cessity exposed, during the whole
of the fire, to its action, but have
since been recovered entire. Hap-
pily no human life was lost.

This awfully afflicting event
has bereft many families, some in
disease, at the entrance of win-
ter, of their only shelters, and of
their all. The woes of the com-
fortless, and the suffering which

―332―

pervades a great part of Frede-
ricksburgh, calls aloud for contri-
bution from the opulent. The in-
habitants of this town were lately
liberal in their relief to the wretch-
ed of Norfolk. A plan has been
organized to furnish the benevo-
lent of the sister towns in Virgi-
nia, and of the neighbouring
country, with an opportunity of
enjoying that luxury which a pure
bosom feels in giving charity
where merit and distress combine
to claim it.

New York, October 21.——About
eleven o'clock, on Monday even-
ing, a fire broke out in the stable
of Mr. Archer Gifford at Newark,
which consumed four stables,
three carriage houses and car-
riages, seven horses, and a dwell-
ing house. Two adjoining build-
ings received much injury. By
the great exertions of the citizens
the fire was got under by two
o'clock. The dwelling house des-
troyed was in the occupation of
Mr. John Oedo; one of those in-
jured was occupied by Mrs. Ann
Goble. The three sufferers, we
are informed, were insured in the
London Phœnix fire-office.

During the squall on Monday,
as Mr. Wright, a clerk in the
mail stage office, was crossing the
North river in a Powles-hook ferry
boat, he was knocked over-board
by the boom. After being in the
water about ten minutes, he was
taken up without sustaining any
bodily injury. The account in
some of the papers of his being
drowned by this accident is erro-
neous.

Washington city, Oct. 27.——The
hall of the house of representa-
tives was on this day opened for
the first time. We risk no-
thing in pronouncing it a chef

d'œuvre of architectural skill. It
was anticipated by those who had
paid a critical attention to the
plan, and who were acquainted
with the talents of the architect*,
that it would be the handsomest
room in the world occupied by a
deliberative body. Those who
have seen the rooms occupied by
European public bodies attest the
accuracy of the prediction. We
shall not at present attempt a de-
scription of it; reserving this gra-
tification for some future period
of leisure. In the mean time we
shall barely remark, that, on en-
tering it, the spectator feels a new
and strong sensation of pleasure,
from the splendour and elegance
of all that surrounds him.

The vice-president yesterday
took the chair of the senate at the
opening of that body. We have
pleasure in stating him to be in
good health.

Mr. Macon, the former speaker
of the house of representatives, is
disabled from taking his seat in
the house by a severe indisposi-
tion.

Monday, October 26.——This
being the day fixed by the procla-
mation of the president of the
United States for the meeting of
congress, a majority of the mem-
bers of both houses convened at
the capitol.

The assistant clerk of the house
of representatives, having called
over the names of the members,
announced 127 members and one
delegate to be present.

He then inquired if it were the
pleasure of the house to proceed to
the appointment of a speaker,
which being determined in the af-
firmative, the members proceed-
* Mr. Latrobe.

―333―

ed to ballot for that officer, Messrs.
Cutts, Helms, and John Campbell
being named tellers.

The tellers, after examining the
votes, reported that 117 were re-
ceived, and Joseph B. Varnum, a
representative from the state of
Massachusetts, having fifty-nine
of them, was declared to be duly
elected.

The speaker being conducted
to the chair by Mr. Van Cort-
landt and Mr. Alston, addressed
the house as follows:

Gentlemen of the house of repre-
sentatives,

You will please to accept my
most grateful acknowledgments
for the honour which by your suf-
frages on this occasion you have
conferred upon me. I am sensi-
ble of my own inability to perform
the important duties you have
been pleased to assign me in the
most desirable manner, but relying
on your candour and readiness to
afford me your aid, I accept the
trust. And be assured, gentle-
men, that it will be my assiduous
endeavour to discharge the duties
of the office faithfully and impar-
tially, and in a manner which in
my opinion shall be best calculat-
ed to meet your wishes, and afford
me the consolation of an approv-
ing conscience.

The house next proceeded to
the election of a clerk. The same
tellers which had been appointed
on the former election having
been named by the speaker on
this, the members proceeded to
ballot. It appearing to the tellers,
on examining the votes, that one
of the members had, by mistake,
voted twice, this balloting, after a
few desultory remarks, was set
aside, and a fresh one taken, the
result of which was as follows:

No person having a majority of
votes, another balloting took
place, the votes of which were,

A third balloting was about
to take place, when Mr. Ran-
dolph rose, and observed, that he
never felt more reluctance in ad-
dressing the house than on the
present occasion; but a sense of
the duty which he owed to that
body, and which he should always
endeavour to fulfil to the best of
his ability, impelled him to speak.
He perceived among the candi-
dates for the office of clerk of that
house, a high and honourable
trust, a person who came before
him in such a shape, and under
such circumstances, that were he
to withhold the information which
he was about to give from the
house, and this person should be
elected, he could not answer for
the neglect. The person to whom
he alluded had a plurality of votes
on the last ballot. This person,
the session before the last, was
chief clerk in the office of Mr.
Beckley. There was an order of
the house that the doors should
be closed. The clerk is a sworn
officer, bound not to divulge the
proceedings of the house on
such occasions. He did his duty,
but the assistant clerks did not

―334―

perform theirs. They posted
themselves at the gallery door,
where it was found, on examina-
tion, that every word could be as
distinctly heard as on the floor of
the house. These clerks heard
the debates which took place, and
the person to whom he had al-
luded was one of them. Mr.
Randolph said he had heard re-
peated some of the expressions
which he had used in the house,
before he reached his lodgings at
Georgetown. This person came
to him afterwards, and apologized
for his conduct. Here Mr. Van-
zandt (the clerk alluded to) making
a motion of his head, significant
of his dissent from the truth of
this allegation, Mr. Randolph
said he perceived that what he
said was contradicted, and was
about to sit down. The speaker
desired him to proceed. He said
he must decline entering into a
contest of this kind, and added
only, that a person who was capa-
ble of violating his duty in a sub-
ordinate trust certainly ought
not to be elected to the important
office in question.

Mr. Alston thought the house
ought to adjourn, in order to af-
ford an opportunity of examining
into this matter, and made a mo-
tion to this effect.

This motion was negatived.

The propriety of postponing
the appointment of a clerk till to-
morrow was suggested, in order
that the house might proceed with
other business. A motion made
for this purpose was negatived.

The speaker informed the
house that he had received a let-
ter from the person officiating as
clerk, which he was requested to
lay before the house. The letter
was read by the speaker. It de-
sired permission to be heard at

the bar of the house, in order to
disprove the assertions which had
been made by the member from
Virginia, in respect to the writer's
conduct at a former session.

Mr. Smilie hoped no order
would be taken upon this letter.
He thought the request to be
heard at the bar of the house a
very extraordinary one, and if
listened to might form a danger-
ous precedent.

The house proceeded to ano-
ther balloting for clerk, the result
of which was,

Fifty-nine votes being neces-
sary to a choice, another balloting
was immediately had, when Pa-
trick Magruder was declared to
be duly elected, he having 72
votes. The votes given to the
other candidates were not an-
nounced.

The house then proceeded to
the qualification of its members.
The oath of office was adminis-
tered to the speaker by Mr. Van
Cortlandt, and the speaker qua-
lified the members and the clerk.

Carlisle (Penn.), November
13.——On Friday morning, Novem-
ber 6th, the trial of Edward Don-
nelly, for murdering his wife
Catharine, came before the court
of oyer and terminer in this
place. Friday and Saturday till
dark were occupied in the exami-
nation of witnesses on the part of
the prosecution; on the part of
the prisoner none were adduced.

It appeared in evidence that the
neighbours had heard her lamen-

―335―

table cries and screams, as if in
torment, for more than an hour,
till they gradually died away,
since which time (last August)
she has never been heard of.
Blood was discovered in the bed,
and on the bedsteads; a very un-
usual quantity of fresh ashes were
found in the fire-place, all impreg-
nated with something like lime; a
great number of small bones were
produced in court, which were
found in the ashes, and which
many physicians of skill and emi-
nence positively pronounced to
be human bones, which had borne
the effects of excessive heat.
Some very material evidence
against the prisoner was his own
conduct since the affair, what he
himself has said, and his various
and contradictory accounts of it.
A great variety of other evidence
and circumstances all concurred
to convince the mind of every per-
son of the prisoner's guilt, and
place it beyond a doubt. Don-
nelly's son, a child of seven years
of age, who was the most material
and only positive evidence, could
not be admitted, on account of his
extreme youth and ignorance.

A very able defence of the pri-
soner was made by Messrs. Dun-
can and Watt. Not once did they
appeal to the passions, or attempt
to excite the feelings of the ju-
rors in favour of the prisoner; but
all their eloquence and ingenuity
was directed to the point (and
with ability they supported it) that
the evidence was but presumptive,
and not such as would justify the
jury convicting the prisoner.

Mr. Metzger, the prosecutor,
was not deficient in his exertions
on behalf of the commonwealth.
He has gained much credit by
his conduct on this cause. To
his honour may it be said, that

not once through the whole trial
did he suffer one word of resent-
ment or abuse of the prisoner to
escape him. He displayed his
talents at the same time that he
established a proper degree of
calmness as well as firmness. He
contended that though there was
no absolutely positive evidence,
yet as the presumptive was so
violent as to be equal to positive,
the jury could not avoid finding a
verdict against the poor, the un-
fortunate Donnelly.

The judge's charge was not
concluded till after two o'clock on
Sunday morning. The jury, af-
ter retiring near an hour, returned
with a verdict of guilty. At ten
o'clock the prisoner was brought
to the bar to receive his sentence;
but objections were filed by his
counsel, and an arrest of judgment
obtained. The case remains un-
decided till the first Monday in
January next.

New York, November 17.——
Yesterday afternoon, between
three and four o'clock, a fire, oc-
casioned by the bursting of a
chimney, broke out in the second
story of a frame house, corner of
Hester and Mott-streets, occupied
by Thomas Mooney as a grocery
store. The upper part of the
house was totally consumed, and
very considerable damage sus-
tained by Mr. Mooney by the re-
moval of the contents of the
store.

On Sunday morning last, a fire
broke out, in Brooklyn, in the ba-
kery of Nicolls and Willson,
which was shortly consumed, to-
gether with two small houses ad-
joining. There was a consider-
able quantity of hard bread in it
at the time, with flour, &c. The
loss is conjectured to be near
4000 dollars.

―336―

Washington, November 1.——
The experience of the last two
days has manifested a very ma-
terial defect in the hall of the
house of representatives. The
voice of the speaker is complete-
ly lost in echo, before it reaches
the ear. Nothing distinctly can
be heard from the chair or the
members. It requires quite an
effort to catch with precision,
from amidst the floating rever-
berations of the hall, a distinct
idea of what is passing. In ad-
dition to this, the present clerk
reads very badly; the speaker
still worse.

Some persons predicted the
event six months ago, when the
apartment was first covered in.
It is an edifice of the Corinthian
order, not less than 120 feet
square, the whole of which above
the ground floor, wherein the
offices are conveniently distribut-
ed, by the skill and judgment of
its justly celebrated architect,
is devoted to form one majestic
hall, for the sitting of the house
of representatives; excepting
only the necessary entrances,
lobbies, and stair-ways, all of
which are nobly planned. But
you may judge whether the
modest and tranquil members of
American representation are
likely to make themselves heard
(with that calmness of mind and
gravity of gesture so becoming
their proceedings) from the pit,
or centre, of a gigantic ellipsis,
surrounded with innumerable
columns, which form so many
intermediate recesses, rising
over covered ways and conceal-
ed club-rooms, and communicat-
ing above, from story to story,
with open vestibules and lofty
lodges, till it terminates at a
height of 90 to 100 feet, in a coved

ceiling, and a radiated sky-light.
If it is now so bad, what will it be
when keen north-westers shall
begin to howl through the long
drawn passages, and driving
snow storms to sweep through
the folding doors, and whirl up
the winding stair-cases, in the
very teeth of representative
majesty.

It is a magnificent structure,
in which the architect produces
a grand display of opulence and
taste, highly gratifying to the
foreign ambassadors that attend
our court from the sublime re-
gions of France and Britain; but
the most inconvenient apartment
for the solemn debates of a deli-
berative body that ever was ap-
plied to that purpose; if mem-
bers whose lungs were of the
common force could ever be
properly heard in it, it would be
after the recesses of every des-
cription were partitioned off with
screens, and the roof brought
down to the medium of human
powers, by means of a universal
sounding board.

The garrison at Montreal has
lately been reinforced by 1500
men from Nova Scotia.

Canada papers, of the 26th
September, mention the general
prevalence of the influenza in
those parts. Thus it appears
that this singular disorder is a
progressive disease, travelling
from south to north.

Number of graduates from the
several colleges in New England,
for the year 1807:

Yale 64; Dartmouth 42;
Harvard 35; Brown 25; Wil-
liam 21; Bowdoin 3; Middlebury
7; Burlington 3. Total 200.

Yesterday, says the Boston
Palladium of Friday last, a gen-
tleman from Holliston, nearly

―337―

one hundred years of age, walked
up into the cupola of the state-
house, and down, without assist-
ance, except of his cane.

New York, November 2.——A
small boat, with eleven persons
on board, coming from Gover-
nor's island, yesterday morning,
was, through some mismanage-
ment and the roughness of the
water, upset, and one person im-
mediately drowned. Ten of the
number were picked up by an
Elizabethtown ferry-boat, one of
which survived but a short
time after being taken on board,
although every exertion within
their limited means was used for
his restoration. They were all
labourers employed in the works
now erecting at the island.

Lexington (K.), November 3.——
About day-break, on Friday
morning, Mr. Hunt's duck
manufactory was discovered to
be on fire; and, before the citi-
zens could be collected, the fire
had got such head as to bid de-
fiance to any exertions to ex-
tinguish it. The books and a
few articles were all that could
be saved. Mr. Hunt estimates
his loss at 15,000 dollars. For-
tunately the direction of the wind
was as favourable as possible,
and no other damage of moment
was sustained; but had the wind
set toward the thick settled parts
of the town, it would now ex-
hibit nothing more than a heap
of ruins, owing to the scarcity
of water.

The trustees of the town, taking
into consideration the alarming
situation in which we are for the
want of water, called a town
meeting on Saturday morning, in
order to take the sense of the
citizens on the propriety of dis-

posing of the real property be-
longing to the town, for the pur-
pose of procuring a sufficient
supply of water in every part
thereof. The citizens appointed
a committee to draft some plan
for watering Lexington, and to
make an estimate of the probable
expence; with directions to call
another town meeting when they
are ready to report.

Was launched into the Ken-
tucky river, at Delany's ferry,
on the 25th ult., the barge Elk-
horn, supposed to weigh between
10 and 12,000 pounds, burthen
between thirty and forty tons,
built by Mr. John Higbee, at his
mill, six miles from Lexington,
from whence it was conveyed by
land about fourteen miles before
it could be consigned to its pro-
per element; all which was done
without injury, under the direc-
tion of colonel A. Bowman and
Mr. D. Bryan.

New London, Connecticut, Nov.
11.——Harry Niles, an Indian, was
executed in this city for the mur-
der of his wife, pursuant to the
sentence of the superior court.
The day before his execution the
prisoner attempted to anticipate
his sentence, and with a piece of
the blade of a knife opened a vein
in his thigh, from which a large
quantity of blood issued before his
purpose was prevented. On the
day of execution he was taken
from prison by the sheriff and his
deputies (the Independent com-
pany acting as guards), and car-
ried to the presbyterian meeting-
house, where a sermon was
preached by the Rev. Mr. M'Ew-
en. At the place of execution
the prisoner made a short speech
to the spectators, and was then
launched into eternity.

―338―

It is twenty-one years since the
execution of a criminal in this
city, and the spectacle of the pub-
lic death of a human being, though
“a poor Indian,” drew together a
large concourse of people; the
number has, by many observers,
been computed at 6, 8, and 10,000.
The prisoner behaved with much
calmness, and, when passing from
prison through the crowd, his
countenance bespoke the magna-
nimity of the American savage.
The death of his wife was occasion-
ed by a quarrel produced by intox-
ication, the effects of which are
known to be peculiarly mischiev-
ous among the aborigines of
America.

New York.——A person, while
walking near the Belvidere hill,
discovered a hole or cavity in the
bank; and, on examining it with
his cane, he found one guinea,
dated 1745; five Spanish dollars,
dated 1773; five quarters, dated
1748; twenty-seven English half-
pennies, marked George second,
and a number of buttons, marked
37th regiment. The skull and
other parts of the human frame
were also found in the same place.

The influenza prevails very
generally at Georgetown, South
Carolina, and has carried off a
number of the oldest and most re-
spectable inhabitants of the place,
amongst them Messrs. George
and William Heriot, and Mr. John
Cogdell.

November 12.——It is a melan-
choly truth that the yellow-fever
has prevailed this fall with great
malignity in Charleston. The
first death by it was on the 12th
of August; several died in the
course of the same month; but it
became much more fatal in Sep-
tember, less so in October, and it
has now entirely disappeared,

though we have had no very cold
weather yet in the city, for in my
garden several very tender plants,
readily affected by frost, appear to
have received very little injury.
In the country, however, frost was
observed as early as the 19th or
20th of October, at which time I
find, by a New York paper of Oc-
tober 31st, snow had fallen mid-leg
deep at Geneva, to the westward,
on the 19th of the same month.

The number of deaths in the
month of August was (including
116 Africans)

If we state the whole number
for these three months at 800,
we shall come nearer the truth.
This, being every 35th person in a
population of 28,000, is a very
heavy mortality.

It ought, however, to be taken
into consideration, that the num-
ber of Africans imported was very
great, 9766 having arrived from
the first of January to the 1st of
November in the present year;
of which number 1487 arrived du-
ring the months of August, Sep-
tember, and October, many of
whom died of the dysentery and
other complaints.

We have the influenza still
among us. It made its first ap-
pearance early in October, and
eighteen out of twenty of the inha-
bitants of this city, whites as well
as people of colour, were attacked
by it. It appears now to be on the
decline, having infected most of
the inhabitants of the city.

The grand inquest of the coun-
ty of Alleghany, in the state of
Pennsylvania, having taken into
consideration the great inconveni-

―339―

ence and expence to which the
western counties of this state have
been subjected, in transporting to,
and maintaining their convicts, in
the penitentiary of Philadelphia,
respectfully do present, that, in
their opinion, the want of a peni-
tentiary west of the mountains is
a serious grievance, and loudly
calls for the interposition of the
legislature; that in the county of
Alleghany the expence alone of
maintaining their convicts in the
penitentiary of Philadelphia, inde-
pendent of the expence of trans-
porting them to that place, has
amounted, in the last ten years, to
the sum of 1142 dollars, and in
some of the neighbouring coun-
ties has far exceeded that sum;
that the chances of escape given
to prisoners in transporting of
them three hundred miles has a
tendency often to defeat the whole-
some provisions of our criminal
laws, and in a degree to frustrate
the ends of justice; that the
counties west of the mountains,
from their wealth and their num-
bers, are entitled to relief from
the evils above-mentioned, and
that a knowledge of them is all
that is necessary to induce the le-
gislature to interpose in their fa-
vour.

The grand jury, therefore, un-
der the sanction of the court, re-
commend to their fellow-citizens
of the county of Alleghany to
unite in framing and forwarding a
petition to the legislature, for the
establishment of a penitentiary in
some central situation, west of the
mountains.

And the grand jury further re-
spectfully request, that the presi-
dent of this court would be pleas-
ed to suggest to the grand juries
of the several counties in which
he presides the propriety of tak-

ing the subject into their consi-
deration.

Grand jury room, Pittsburgh,
12th November, 1807.

Deerfield (N. H.).——On Tues-
day, September 22, Joshua Frink,
a single man, of about twenty-five
years of age, returned sick from
Hartford, Connecticut, to his fa-
ther's house in Deerfield. His
disorder increased, and he appear-
ed very dangerous, but hath since
recovered. The day he came
home, his mother, Amy, wife of
Minor Frink, aged sixty-one, and
his brother Samuel Frink's
daughter, attended him. Those
two persons, in the night of Fri-
day, September 25, were taken
with ague fits and vomiting, suc-
ceeded by terrible pain and
soreness throughout their whole
frame, soon lost their reason, and
expired in about twelve hours, in
a state of putrefaction. Among
the rest of the neighbours who at-
tended with the sick, Mrs. Susan-
na Sweet, wife of Mr. Joseph
Sweet, brother to Mrs. Frink,
aged sixty-four, with their daugh-
ter, Jerusha Jones, wife of Mr.
Amos Jones, and an infant, nine
months old, were, perhaps, the
most exposed. Friday night, Oc-
tober 2, Mrs. Sweet, and another
daughter of Samuel Frink, were
taken in like manner, and both ex-
pired in thirteen hours. Satur-
day, October 3, Jerusha Jones
and her child were taken with the
same, and died in twelve hours.
Sunday, 4th, Minor Frink, jun.,
taken nearly in the same manner,
and expired in about the same
term of time, aged fifty-seven.
Wednesday, October 7th, Sally
Blackler, wife of John Blackler,
daughter of Mr. Sweet, deceased,
having been present at the death

―340―

of her mother, was taken with
the same disorder, but did not pu-
trify immediately like the others,
except one of her fingers; she
lived until Monday, October 12,
and then expired.

Joel, son of Mrs. Frink, deceas-
ed, taken the same hour with his
mother, aged seventeen; Lyman,
son of Samuel Fink, aged six; and
a young daughter of Minor Fink,
jun., taken about the same time
with Mrs. Sweet, have recovered.
Other cases are yet undetermined
whether it was the same disorder
or not.

The people of the vicinity were
much alarmed with this solemn
providence of God, so that they
were afraid to lend that friendly
assistance in sickness and burying
the dead which the laws of na-
ture and gratitude demand. The
husband, with his heart swollen
with grief, was put to the painful
necessity of assisting in laying out
his own wife for interment.
Clergymen refused their attend-
ance, and what is considered
common form and decency in
such cases was wholly neglected.
Those who were the unhappy
subjects of this dreadful disorder
were immediately deprived of
reason, racked with pain, and hur-
ried into eternity, and prudence
and safety required that they
should be hurried to the grave as
soon as possible. A melancholy
gloom appeared visible in almost
every countenance; but their
fears have subsided in this place
with regard to this disorder. Pre-
pare to meet thy God, O Israel.

The young man first mention-
ed informs, that he helped to un-
lade a vessel at Hartford, the
hands of which were all sick,
from which he supposed the dis-
fr[gap] [gap] was taken, and that there

were seven lying dead at one time
the next door to his lodgings.

Trenton, November 15.——On
motion of colonel Ogden, of coun-
sel for colonel Burr, and with the
assent of the attorney general, the
supreme court granted an order
to quash the indictment in the
case of the state against Aaron
Burr for the murder of general
Hamilton. It appears that the
indictment was very materially de-
fective, and particularly in that it
alleged the murder to be com-
mitted in this state, whereas the
fact was well established that the
death took place in the state of
New York, and that it was the
opinion of the bar generally, that
the indictment in its present form
could not be sustained.

Johnstown, Montgomery county,
New York.——The country in the
vicinity has, this autumn, been
uncommonly infested with bears.
About 250 have been killed with-
in the circuit of eight or ten miles.
The cause of this irruption, as it
may be termed, is supposed to be
the scarcity in the back parts of
the state of chesnuts and beech
nuts, which compels the bears and
squirrels to resort to the more
southern and productive tracts.
Instances have been known of a
whole corn-field being stripped
by these marauders in the course
of a night. A singular instance
of strength in a bear occurred
lately in the neighbourhood. A
young one, nearly full grown, was
taken in a steel trap of twenty-one
pounds weight, to which was an-
nexed an iron chain of twenty-
three pounds; his hind leg was
broken, notwithstanding which he
dragged both trap and chain above
two hundred yards, to a large
hemlock tree, up which he climb-
ed until the chain became en-

―341―

tangled in the branches and
checked his progress. In the
morning he was traced to his re-
treat, and shot, and it was found
necessary to cut the tree down to
get possession of the body. A
panther of considerable size has
likewise been seen by several
country people, lately prowling in
the vicinity of the town. A far-
mer, when in the middle of a field,
was alarmed by the approach of
this unwelcome visitor; his only
refuge was the stump of a tree,
on which he mounted, and with a
rope halter that he had in his
hand kept up a constant noise, by
beating the same against the
trunk; whether deterred by this
or not, the panther contented
himself with walking several
times around him, and then with-
out any particular congé, took a
French leave, and retired to the
woods.

Commissioners of the pilotage
of the port of Savannah are pro-
viding warping and mooring buoys
to be laid down in the river be-
twixt the city and the lower shoal
of five fathom hole, which pro-
mise to be of great utility, as ves-
sels will be enabled by them to
pass through that passage, either
in calms or head winds; and thus
avoid the detention so frequently
occasioned by these causes. They
are expected to be completed and
ready for use in about six weeks.

Luzerne, Pennsylvania.——Mr.
A. Watson, of Huntington, in this
county, has raised an ox that has
three perfect horns, a handsome
pair upon his head, and another
on the top of his neck, inclining
to the right side. The preter-
natural horn is about twelve in-
ches from the head of the ox,
and is six or seven inches long,
and growing rapidly.

The oldest inhabitant in Geor-
gia does not recollect that there
has been such a long spell of dry
weather as at the present season.
There has been scarcely a drop of
rain for three months back. The
branches and creeks are all near-
ly run dry. The Savannah is no
longer navigable for flats, which
is the cause of great disappoint-
ment to our planters and mer-
chants. Winter gardens are of
no account, and the small grain is
in great danger of failing, if rain
should not come soon, but of
which there is little prospect at
present.

Provencetown (Cape Cod),
Nov. 19.——Yesterday we had a
most distressing gale of wind from
N. N. E. attended with snow, sleet,
and rain. The sloop Experience,
M'Kean, of Islesborough, went on
shore on the back of the cape,
crew saved, vessel and part of her
cargo (lumber) lost; schooner
Freedom, of Marblehead, from
the Grand banks, went on shore
about two miles to the eastward
of Race point, the crew all perish-
ed; three of the bodies have
since been found. Brig Dispatch,
Upton, of Salem, went on shore;
cargo will mostly be saved, vessel
probably lost. A brig went on
shore about four miles S. E. of
the light-house, and went to
pieces, two men saved; report
says that she was loaded with duck
and iron. Brig Nancy, Hewitt,
of New York, is on shore in Cape
harbour.

New York, November 23,
1807.——The following instances
of longevity are to be found in the
seventh ward of this city, which
make, as to the whole number of
its population, of the age of seven-
ty-one and upwards, rather more
than three to a thousand:

―342―

Charleston, S. C., November
16, 1807.——There are now living
in this city three ladies, whose
united ages amount to 292 years.
The first is a native of Gibraltar,
and recollects perfectly the taking
of that place by sir George Rooke,
when she was a girl, and is now
supposed to be 109 years old, as
that event took place 103 years
ago. The two others are ninety-
three and ninety years of age;
and all of them enjoying good
health.

Salem, Nov. 1.——The Salem
East India society celebrated
their fourth aniversary. The
meeting of this respectable body,
composed of men who have per-
sonally traversed the seas beyond
Cape Horn or Good Hope, exhi-
bits a spirit of commercial enter-
prize which we believe no other
town in the United States can
boast of. According to practice
they displayed in procession the
dresses and instruments which
have been brought from the dis-
tant regions they have visited, and
which in some measure inform us
of the customs, manners, and arts
of their inhabitants. In the hall
appropriated to their elegant mu-
seum they partook of a social
feast, and chose their officers for
the ensuing year. We would

here remark, that the object of
this society is not a mere ostenta-
tious parade, but the promotion of
nautical and commercial know-
ledge, which the journals and ob-
servations deposited in the library
by the members on their return
from distant voyages fully testify.

Washington, Nov. 25.——The
monument to be erected to the
memory of the officers of the na-
vy who fell during the different
attacks made by our squadron on
the city of Tripoli, in 1804, has
arrived at Boston in the United
States' frigate Constitution, and
will shortly be landed at the navy
yard at this place.

The expence of this beautiful
piece of sculpture, which, for
grandeur of design, elegance of
execution and size, far excels any
thing of the kind ever seen on this
side of the Atlantic, has been de-
frayed out of the slender means
of the officers of the navy.

We understand that the mana-
ger, captain David Porter, intends,
in behalf of his brother officers,
to present it to this city, only re-
serving to himself the privilege of
chusing the spot where it is to
stand, and that Mr. Latrobe has
generously offered his services in
putting it up.

To convey some idea of this
monument, we subjoin a short
though imperfect description.

Its base is sixteen feet square,
and its height twenty-three feet. It
is composed of the purest white
marble of Carrara, with orna-
ments and inscriptions of gilt
bronze. The pedestal is highly
ornamented with inscriptions, re-
presentative of the actions, tro-
phies of war, &c., in bas relief,
and supports a rostral column,
surmounted by the arms of the
United States. Fame standing

―343―

on one side of the pedestal, with
the palm and laurel, crowns an
urn, which bears this inscription:

Hic decorae functorum in bello
virorum cineres.

History, seated at the base,
looking back recording these
events. Mercury, the genius of
commerce, lamenting the death of
his protectors; a female Indian,
representing America, with two
children bearing the fasces, ex-
plaining to them the events; and
four large bronze lamps represent-
ing the flame of immortality.

On the pedestal appears the fol-
lowing inscriptions in letters of
gilt bronze:

Erected to the memory of cap-
tain Richard Somers, Lieutenants
James Caldwell, James Decatur,
Henry Wadsworth, Joseph Israel,
and midshipman John H. Dorsey,
who fell in the different attacks
that were made on the city of
Tripoli, in the year of our Lord
1804, and the 28th year of the in-
dependence of the United States.

A flame of glory inspired them,
And Fame has crowned their
deeds.

History records the events; the
children of Columbia admire, and
Commerce laments their fall.

As a small tribute of respect to
their memory, and admiration of
their valour, so worthy of imita-
tion, their brother officers have
erected this monument.

The monument has been im-
ported in fifty-one large cases, and
weighs above fifteen tons. The
figures are as large as life, and
the whole will cost above 3000 dol-
lars, which is to be raised at the
following rates of subscription:
commanders $20, ward-room of-
ficers $10, and officers of the rank
of midshipmen, &c., $5. The
subscription, we understand, is

nearly completed; and from the
known spirit and generosity of our
officers we are confident it will
soon be closed.

New York, November 26.——Yes-
terday completed the 24th anni-
versary of the evacuation of this
city by the British troops, after
the long and eventful struggle
that terminated in the indepen-
dence of the United States. It
was celebrated as usual with eve-
ry manifestation of grateful joy.
The day was ushered in by a fe-
deral salute from the battery.
The 1st and 2d regiments and 1st
battalion of the 3d regiment of
artillery, colonel Laight's regi-
ment of infantry, and the several
companies of horse, the whole
under the command of brigadier
general Morton, were on duty;
the line was formed on the batte-
ry at half past ten, when the re-
view took place. His honour the
mayor, major general Stevens of
the artillery, brigadier general
Giles of the horse, and brigadier
general Steddiford, with their re-
spective suites, likewise attended
on the occasion. After the re-
view, the troops took up their
line of march, through Broad-
way, Wall, Pearl, Beckman, Par-
tition, and Greenwich streets,
back to the place of departure.

On their return to the battery
they went through a variety of
evolutions and firings, and, after
a feu de joie, were dismissed. At
half past twelve the bomb ketch
and gun boats, the former of
which was dressed on the occa-
sion, and the whole drawn up in
a line off the battery, fired a na-
tional salute, as did also the Con-
stitution frigate, in honour of the
day.

The martial appearance of the
troops, and the precision with

―344―

which they performed the differ-
ent evolutions, were highly gra-
tifying, and afforded visible satis-
faction to a very numerous as-
semblage of spectators.

In the evening the theatre was
brilliantly illuminated, and a
grand transparent painting, de-
signed and painted by H. Reina-
gle, exhibited, representing the
genius of liberty, upholding with
one hand a portrait of general
Washington, and with the other
pointing to a scrawl, on which
the genius of history had inscrib-
ed “Evacuation of New York,
November 25, 1783.” On the
right of the picture was a figure
of Plenty, over which hovered the
American eagle; on the left,
Fame sounding her trumpet, and
holding the cap of liberty over A-
merica.

December 1.——At New York, a
charity sermon was preached in
the North Dutch church, by the
Rev. Dr. Abeel, and six hundred
and seventy dollars collected for
the benefit of the charity school
belonging to that church.

At a superior court, begun and
holden at the town of Alexan-
dria, in the county of Rapides,
within and for the 4th superior
court district of the territory
of Orleans (including the coun-
ties of Rapides, Ouachita, and
Natchitoches), on the third
Monday of September, in the
year of our Lord 1807.

The grand jurors within and
for said district, in addition to the
bills of indictment found, consi-
der it a duty which they owe to
themselves, to their fellow citi-
zens, and to the government of
their country, to present the nu-
merous outrages, and the repeat-
ed violations of all the principles
of amity and good neighbour-

hood, committed by the Spanish
government or its agents, at the
post of Nacogdoches, by encou-
raging the slaves of this district
to desert from their masters, and
protecting them after they have
escaped without the limits of this
territory. This encouragement
and protection of slaves, even af-
ter they have added to the offence
of desertion the crimes of theft
and robbery, has been of long
continuance.

The citizens of this district,
firmly attached to the govern-
ment under which they live, and
ready at all times to sacrifice their
lives and fortunes in its defence,
have hitherto waited with a pa-
tient forbearance, in expectation
of that protection to which they
are entitled. But instead of pro-
tection, every day brings fresh
proofs of the impunity with which
wrongs are committed upon us
under the mask of friendship and
peace, by those who as neigh-
bours have experienced on our
part a sacred observance of their
rights, and towards whom we
have ever extended all the good
offices in our power. After re-
peated but unavailing reclama-
tions made by our fellow citizens
upon the officers of the Spanish
government, for slaves who have
made their escape into the Spa-
nish territory, we have at length
received for answer an avowal of
their resolution (with an asser-
tion that this resolution is founded
on the express orders of their go-
vernment) not to restore them,
but to continue to extend towards
them their protection and sup-
port. In this situation the citi-
zens of this district look to their
government for its immediate in-
terposition, to put an end to this
unprovoked system of injury, in-

―345―

tolerable in its immediate effects,
but infinitely more dreadful in its
future consequences. It is in-
teresting, not to the inhabitants
of this district only, but to the
whole territory; and is, we con-
ceive, one of those audacious ag-
gressions upon our rights, which
most deeply affects the honour of
the government and the nation.

We can only add that, in the
last resort, self-preservation must
point out to us our remedy for
wrongs, which, if persisted in
without redress, would expose
our property to continued depre-
dations, and ourselves and fami-
lies to all the horrors of the most
dreadful of insurrections, that of
slaves against their masters.

The grand jury request that
this presentation be made public
by being published in the Orleans
papers.

New York, Dec. 1. 1807.——
Between the hours of one and
two, the sloop Liberty, of Al-
bany, captain Cobb, was struck
with a gust of wind, in the high-
lands, opposite to Mr. Denning's,
and immediately sunk. The
forecastle having been left open
by the cook, the sloop filled in-
stantly, and went down head fore-
most. The sloop had six passen-
gers, four of whom, viz., Messrs.
William Dunaway, Pascal P.
Brewster, Ezra Woodruff, and
Joseph Brown, were also saved
in the sloop's boat, which was
cut from her stern; but two of
the passengers, having waited to
dress themselves and preserve
their money, were drowned in
the cabin. One of the latter was
a Mr. Furman (christian name
not known), of Brunswick, New
Jersey, a tanner and currier,
who had been working at his

trade at Waterford or Lansing-
burgh; the other, a Mr. Crullis,
a Scotsman, was unknown to the
surviving passengers.

Elizabethtown, N. J., Decem-
ber 1.——On Friday last, Cornelius
Rapaljea, living on the Raritan,
came to Brunswick with a load of
pork, and after selling it, and re-
ceiving his money for the same,
was about returning home, when
two men solicited to ride with
him, as they said they were go-
ing the same way. After getting
a short distance out of town, one
of them said to Rapaljea, “you
made a mistake in that money
you received.” “Not so,” he re-
plied. “I will bet you fifty dollars
you did,” said the other. Upon
which Rapaljea took out his
pocket-book to examine into the
suggestion of his companion,
when he received a severe blow
from him, and the fellow, snatch-
ing the pocket-book, made off
with it. There was between one
and two hundred dollars in it.
The other fellow was apprehend-
ed, and a pair of pistols found on
him. He was examined by the
authority, and committed.

Died, in Rahway, on Monday,
the 23d ult., Mr. Ashier Codding-
ton, and on Wednesday his wife;
both of the typhus fever, and
both in the prime of life.

New York, December 2.——A
meeting of the merchants and
traders of this city was held last
evening at the Tontine coffee-
house, Cornelius Ray, Esq., in
the chair, and Mr. John Ferrers
secretary.

The chairman informed the
meeting it was called to take
into consideration the memorial
of the Philadelphia merchants to
congress, praying for the repeal
of the non-importation act. A

―346―

motion was made and carried
that a committee of twenty-one
gentlemen should be appointed
to take the subject into conside-
ration.

There was a diversity of opi-
nion among the gentlemen pre-
sent. Some were against peti-
tioning congress at all, after what
had taken place in the house of
representatives, on the reading
of the memorial of the merchants
of Philadelphia. Others con-
ceived, that a memorial from this
city, followed by remonstrances
from other cities, would be treat-
ed with greater respect; and as
the time was short when the law
would go into operation, they
wished the committee to have
the power to draw up a memo-
rial without delay.

After the committee had been
named the meeting adjourned.

We copy the following inter-
esting article from the New Or-
leans Gazette of October 19.

“At a superior court begun
and holden at the town of Alex-
andria, in the county of Rapides,
within and for the fourth supe-
rior court district of the territory
of Orleans (including the coun-
ties of Rapides, Ouachita, and
Nachitoches), on the third Mon-
day of September, in the year of
our Lord 1807:——

“The grand jurors within and
for said district, in addition to
the bills of indictment found,
consider it a duty which they
owe to themselves, to their fellow-
citizens, and to the government
of their country, to present the
numerous outrages, and the re-
peated violations of all the prin-
ciples of amity and good neigh-
bourhood, committed by the
Spanish government or its agents,
at the post of Nacogdoches, by

encouraging the slaves of this
district to desert from their mas-
ters, and protecting them after
they have escaped without the
limits of this territory. This,
encouragement and protection of
slaves, even after they have add-
ed to the offence of desertion the
crimes of theft and robbery, has
been of long continuance.

“The citizens of this district,
firmly attached to the govern-
ment under which they live, and
ready at all times to sacrifice
their lives and fortunes in its de-
fence, have hitherto waited with
a patient forbearance, in expecta-
tion of that protection to which
they are entitled. But, instead
of protection, every day brings
fresh proofs of the impunity with
which wrongs are committed up-
on us under the mask of friend-
ship and peace, by those who as
neighbours have experienced on
our part a sacred observance of
their rights, and towards whom
we have ever extended all the
good offices in our power. After
repeated but unavailing reclama-
tions made by our fellow-citizens
upon the officers of the Spanish
government, for slaves who have
made their escape into the Spa-
nish territory, we have at length
received for answer an avowal of
their resolution (with an asser-
tion that this resolution is found-
ed on the express orders of their
government) not to restore them,
but to continue to extend towards
them their protection and sup-
port. In this situation the citi-
zens of this district look to their
government for its immediate in-
terposition to put an end to this
unprovoked system of injury, in-
tolerable in its immediate effects,
but infinitely more dreadful in its
future consequences. It is in-

―347―

teresting, not to the inhabitants
of this district only, but to the
whole territory; and is, as we
conceive, one of those audacious
aggressions upon our rights
which most deeply affect the
honour of the government and
the nation.

“We can only add that, in the
last resort, self-preservation must
point out to us our remedy for
wrongs, which, if persisted in
without redress, would expose
our property to continued depre-
dations, and ourselves and fami-
lies to all the horrors of the most
dreadful of insurrections, that of
slaves against their masters.

“The grand jury request that
this presentation be made public,
by being published in the Or-
leans papers.”

Canada, Quebec, Dec. 14.——
This morning, about four o'clock,
a fire unfortunately broke out in
the dwelling-house of Mr. Ignace
Paradis, formerly Menut's, in St.
John-street, which consumed the
same, with two houses adjoining,
in the street leading up to the old
jail. Other buildings were de-
stroyed. What adds to this me-
lancholy accident is the death of
Solomon Myers and his child.
Their remains have been found
amidst the ruins of Paradis' house.
He fell a victim to his efforts to
save his child. The great exer-
tions of the civil and military on
the occasion prevented the flames
from spreading farther. Of the
efforts of the military, particu-
larly, too much cannot be said.

Was stranded on the back of
Long island, about eight miles
from Southampton, on Sunday
morning, the 6th December, the
British armed ship Alexander,
John Kirkpatrick sole owner, Jo-
seph Wescott master, burthen

204 tons, mounted with twelve
guns, nineteen men.

Fredericksburgh, Virg., Dec.
14.——A most singular and re-
markable instance of longevity
has occurred lately in the county
of Spotsylvania. Mr. John Wil-
son died in October last, at the
advanced age of 104 years. He
was born in 1703, and was, dur-
ing the earlier part of his life, a
hard working and labouring man.
He was inclined to be fat, and, for
about twenty-five years before his
death, he was bed-ridden from ex-
treme corpulency. He weighed
about 300 weight, and to the last
retained his appetite and spirits.
In the month of November fol-
lowing, his wife also died, at the
age of ninety years. They had
lived together seventy-six years,
and saw a large and rising proge-
ny to the fourth and fifth genera-
tion.

The act for incorporating the
New Brunswick bank, passed by
the house of assembly of the state
of New Jersey at their last ses-
sion, has been negatived in the
council.

Petitions are before the legisla-
ture of the state of New Jersey for
a bank at Morristown, to be called
the Morris bank, with a capital of
250,000 dollars. It is said also
that the people of Elizabethtown
have applied to the legislature for
an act authorizing the establish-
ment of a bank in that place.

Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Dec. 16.
—On Monday morning last, be-
tween break of day and sunrise, a
terrestrial meteor was seen from
this place, flaming across the hea-
vens in a direction from north-
west to south-east. Apparently
it was as large as the moon at
full, inconceivably light, and tra-
velled with amazing velocity,

―348―

leaving a luminous trail behind.
The light occasioned thereby,
when it crossed the zenith, was
nearly equal to mid-day. A ridge
of heavy, dark clouds lay along
the south and east, behind which
it passed, when it had arrived
within about thirty degrees of the
horizon, illuminating the cloud,
for a moment, in all its parts.
Within about four or five minutes,
a heavy explosion was heard,
from the region of the heavens
where it disappeared, resembling
the discharge of cannon.

On the 17th of October, 1788,
about six or seven o'clock in the
evening, a meteor of similar de-
scription passed over this and the
New England states, first appear-
ing in the south-east, and explod-
ing in the west, about thirty de-
grees above the horizon.

New Haven, Con., Dec. 22,
1807.——On Monday the 14th inst.,
at about the break of day or a little
after, the weather being moderate,
calm, and the atmosphere some-
what cloudy and foggy, a meteor
or fire-ball, passing from a north-
ern point, disploded over the
western part of this state, with a
tremendous report. At the same
time several pieces of stony sub-
stance fell to the earth in Fair-
field county. One mass was
driven against a rock, and dashed
into small pieces, a peck of which
remained on the spot. About
three miles distant, in the town of
Weston, another large piece fell
upon the earth, of which a mass
of about thirty pounds weight re-
mains entire, and was exhibited
the same day at town meeting.
A small mass has been sent to
Yale college, and examined by a
number of gentlemen. It was
immediately perceived by profes-
sor Silliman to contain a metal,

and, on presenting it to a magnet,
a powerful attraction proved it to
be iron.

This is, we believe, the first in-
stance in the United States in
which the substance of this spe-
cies of meteor has been found on
the earth, though it has been of-
ten in Europe. Fortunately the
facts respecting this wonderful
phenomenon are capable of being
ascertained and verified with pre-
cision, and an investigation will,
we understand, be immediately
commenced for the purpose.

We request gentlemen who
may have observed it in distant
parts of the state to favour the
public with their observations.
It is desirable to ascertain the
course or direction of the meteor;
the point of compass in which it
appeared at different places; its
general appearance and velocity;
the manner of its explosion, and
the time between the explosion
and the report.

Canandaigua (New York),
December 22.——We omitted men-
tioning a phenomenon, which, at
the time, excited much attention
in this town. Finding the same
was noticed on the same day,
though at a later hour, in Lex-
ington, Virginia, we now state the
uncommon appearance of the at-
mosphere in this county, on the
12th of November last, hoping
that the accounts from two places
so remote* may aid the philoso-
pher in ascertaining the causes.

On the tenth and eleventh No-
vember, the atmosphere was ap-
parently loaded with smoke or va-
pour without moisture; objects,
at the distance of one mile, could
not be clearly discerned. The * Lexington is about 500 miles S. S
W. from Canandaigua.

―349―

wind south and light. On the
morning of the twelfth, appear-
ances were as on the two preced-
ing days. At half after nine
o'clock, A M., a condensed body,
apparently of smoke, probably
combined with clouds, gathered in
the north-west, the wind continu-
ing south. It approached rapidly,
appearing like the advancing co-
lumn of darkness near the mo-
ment of the total eclipse of the
sun, in June, 1806, and resembling
the memorable dark day of 1780.
In a few minutes it overspread our
hemisphere, and produced a dark-
ness, not indeed equal to that un-
der the total eclipse, yet so great
as to require candles for transact-
ing business. This degree of
darkness continued between two
and three hours, after which the
light gradually increased. At
one o'clock, P. M., it began to
rain, wind west, blowing hard; at
seven, P. M., snow squalls, wind
north-west.

Lexington, Virginia.——On the
12th of November this place ex-
hibited the most gloomy appear-
ance. We were enveloped in
darkness more complete than that
produced by the eclipse of the sun
in 1806. The morning appeared
smoky, and continued to exhibit
nearly the same appearance until
about twelve o'clock; from which
time until half past one there was
a most unusual darkness; occa-
sioned apparently by the increase
of vapour in the atmosphere.
Scarcely any employment could
be conducted without the aid of
candles.

During the last four years
39,310 human beings have been
imported from Africa into the ci-
ty of Charleston alone, viz.:

This disgraceful species of
commerce ceased in the United
States on January 1, 1808.

The winter hitherto in South
Carolina has been so remarkably
mild, that many trees have bud-
ded, and several fruit trees are in
blossom; indeed vegetation gene-
rally is as forward as it usually is
at the beginning of March. This
premature state of vegetation may
be extremely hurtful to the fruit,
if we should have some heavy
frost, as it is reasonable to think
we shall have, before the end of
the season.

On the 24th December, the
speaker laid before the house of
representatives of the United
States a letter from the secretary
of the treasury, enclosing the an-
nual statement of the district ton-
nage of the United States, on the
30th December, 1806.

From this document it appears,
that the actual tonnage of the
United States, on the 30th De-
cember, 1806, might be estimated
at about

In the year 1806 were built
126,098 tons. Of which 93,971
were registered, and 32,161 en-
rolled.

Washington, Dec. 24, 1807.

I understand several expres-
sions have escaped you, in their
nature personal, and highly in-

―350―

jurious to my reputation. The
exceptionable language imputed
to you may be briefly and sub-
stantially comprised in the fol-
lowing statement: That you have
avowed the opinion I was a
rogue; that you have ascribed to
me the infernal disposition to
commit murder, to prevent the
exposition of my sinister de-
signs, and through me have stig-
matized those citizen soldiers who
compose the meritorious military
corps of our country. No person
can be more sensible of the perni-
cious tendency of such cruel and
undeserved reflections, in their
application to public men or pri-
vate individuals, than yourself;
nor is any man more competent
to determine the just reparation
to which they establish a fair
claim. Under these impressions,
I have no hesitation to appeal to
your justice, your magnanimity,
and your gallantry, to prescribe
the manner and the measure of
redress, being persuaded your de-
cision will comport with the feel-
ings of a man of honour, that you
will be found equally prompt to
assert a right or repair a wrong.