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Columbian J!ht£eum,
.2,Vi>
SAVANNAH GAZETTE.
PUBLISHED OS TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND SATURDAY
mornings, by
KJITVEL # BART LET
On the Bay.
Miscellaneous Department.
FROM THE K. Y. COMMERCIAL AUV.
THE AMVIIILOGIST.
To the Author* of the Amphilogist.
Gentlemen The following narration
has nothing to recommend it to your notice,
but its melancholy, its simplicity, and its
truth. Yet no story of suffering can be
without its use ; whether the source of mis
fortune is to be detected in an error of the
understanding, or a wilful dereliction from
right.
1 Was travelling in a neighboring state,
with scarcely any definite object of pursuit
at a season when deep prostration of spir
its, and utter despondency had succeeded
to repeated disappointments. Lost in my
own gloomy contemplations, with the tone
of which the sombre scenery around me,
blending with approaching darkness, well
harmonized, I unconsciously suffered my
horse to take what direction he pleased.
The severity of my own lot, which seemed
at that moment, far beyond the common
riortion of human sufferance, as surrounding
ights appear brighter when we are our
selves in darkness, led me into trite and
profitless speculations on the moral govern
ment ot the world. To induce the neces
sity of a future state ol rewards and pun
ishments, from the inequality of our desti
nies on earth, l reasoned with myself, is im
possible. Passive submission to irremedi
able calamity, can give us no title to a rev
ersion of happiness ; and if it be true that
evil doers reap the fruits of retribution here
on earth, to punish them eternally hereaf
ter for the same offences, is a piece of su
pererogation. From this exqisite logic I
came finally to adopt ttie persuasion, that
all individual lives average equal shares
of happiness and misery ; and viewing
human life in the darkened mirror of my
own melancholy, I concluded that bliss,
• like a sunblink on a stormy sea,’ visited
once during the pilgrimmage, by every wan
derer of the family of man : while the re
mainder of his ‘ few years,* in the words of
inspiration, wr<* ‘ full of troublg.’
When I woke from my reverie, I found
myself in a grass grown road, with which
1 was totally unacquainted. The masses
of shadow falling thick around me, perplex
ed me yet more, in this sylvan labyrinth.
In this uncertainty, I spurred my” horse
to prosecute the un
frequented pathway ; perhaps secretly
pleased that 1 had now an intermediate ob
ject to recall me from the monotony of
chagrin. The road soon emerging from
the forest; wound round the side of a hill,
overgrown with the dark evergreens so pre
valent, in American scenery ; and giving
at the dusky hour such a deep and solemn
hue to all surrounding objects. The long
shadows of the trees as they moved slowly
in the wind, or were faintly tinged with
the last glimmering tints of twilight, assu
med to the doubtful eye, various, uncouth
and fantastic shapes. I feit an involunta
ry dread, as I lost the last traces of the
path—nor were my fears removed by the
appearance of a rude dwelling, which now
presented itself to my view.
* Who are you and what do you want ?’
—asked a voice, the tones of which were
indescribably discordant.—l dismounted.
and approaching the speaker, dimly discov
ered a small decrepid figure of a man, sea
ted near the door of the hut. I requested
him to direct me to the road I had lost.
* It is to dark to retrace your wanderings
now/ he cried in a surly tone ; • but you
may share all the comforts this hovel can
afford you/ I would have declined his
equivocal politeness, but an authorative
gesture silenced me.—He called to a fe
male within, who ushered me to the interi
or of the house, which was far superior to
the promise its external appearance had
held forth. After a comfortable meal, I
was conducted to a neat apaitinent, and
left to my repose.
Rut it was in vain that I courted sleep.
The tones of rry host’s voice, so harsh,
quick and unnutural, yet vibrated grating
ingly on my ears, and aftecfually precluded
slumber, although no sounds interrupted
the calmness and silence around the dwel
ling, save the faint warbling of a solitary
bird, the monotonous chirping of the insects
answering from limb to limo, and the
music of a loquacious marsh at a dis
tance.
I had fallen into a disturbed dose, which
disordered fumy continually interrupted
with some wild and incoherent d'cam,
when the notes of a half touched harp fell
on my ear, in a wild and unearthly pre
lude. The tones seemed to come from
some wandering spirit of the air, hymning
the flight of a departing soul, so soft, so
beautiful, so spiritual they founded. I
soon distinguished their words, suug by
• female voice, whose inflexions seemed
yet sweeter, where apparently broken by
sorrow.
Spirit of bliss! who sleep’st secure,
Where yon thin clouds its snowy fleete,
•is bleeching in the moon beams pure,
Sailing thro’ heaven’s blue seas of peace.
Lull’d by the notes from angel lyres,
That float in transport soft along,
Or strain in distance that expires,
Borne from the spheres sublimer song !
If e’er thy weeds ambrosial, bright
O’er earth’s unholy vapours flow,
If e’er thy silver sandals light
On this black orb of sin and woe:
Spirit of bliss, where doest thou rove ?
Where laughs the beam of childhood’s eye 3
Where the wrapt dream of youthful love
Sees the warm blush, the tender high ?
Where the youtu’’ mother clasps her child,
Whose infant traits his sire’s disclose ?
Where flits the good man’s breath, as mild
As evening’s air that shuts the rose ?
Spirit of bliss ! such storms have past,
This wither’d heart to blight and sear,
Since I have looked upon thee last,
Thy form is scarce remember’d here.
And I can only wait the time,
When casting off life’s grevious load,
Yon opening heav’n my steps shall climb,
And trace the realms, thy feet have trod.
Those hoarse tones of my host broke off
the song ; a muttering growl of discontent
was followed by such a heart drawn groan,
that l shivered as it struck upon my ear.
that hallow voice continued, at intervals,
its groans and complaints until mor
ning.
When I arose from my couch, I found
the inmates of the cottage already stir
ring. The master was without ; and in
the room where the simple breakfast was
prepared, an elderly woman, the same
who had attended me in the evening, was
seated with a younger female. The wrink
led brow and furrowd visage of the former
proclaimed both age anil sorrow; while
the latter presented a monumental wreck
of what had once been passing beautiful.
On her large and languishing eye, hung the
heaviness of a subdued and hopeless heart.
I observed a harp in a chamber, and ven
tured to ask if it were she, who had sung
in the night so sweet Ty. She appeared
confused, and said she had supposed I was
asleep, or she would not have disturbed
me. Assuring her of my gratification, I
enquired for the host. A shade of redoub
led gloon soon came over her brow, at
the mention of him ; a tear started to her
eye ; and she pointed to the door.
I found him in his own situation ; and
uuir an u|> port unity of g al ing up it I
countenance, stamped with a mingled ex
pression of misery and ferocity. The
lineaments of beauty and dignity might be
discovered, through the darker working
of his features, and his crippled, emacia-
ted form ; like the relicts of a classic tem
ple, not quite buried amid ancient rubbish,
and modern hovals. His brow was knit,
and his lips were moving. He started from
his reverie, as I saluted him, and express
ing my gratitude for his reception, enquir
ed the amount of my debt. * You mistake
me,’ said he, ‘ ( keep no inn ; you are wel
come to what I can bestow.’ I attempted
an apology for my mistake, but he cut me
short. ‘ Apoligies,’ said he, * are unneces
sary. lam used to mankind, and their
mistakes,’and his voice was lost in a wild
scream. * Why do you look at ine thus ?’
he fiercely interrogated. ‘AmI so hateful
to the stranger, and to my guest ? Away,
or the basilisk may sting you.’ But ob
serving that I looked on him, rather in pity
than disgust, he seemed to repent of Ins
vehemence. Is there,’ he continued, a
feeling heart on earth ? you shudder—nay,
by heaven, you weep ! ‘Then listen to my
story. Follow me to my place of retire
ment.’
He rose, and as I obeyed him, I remark
ed that his legs had been broken in several
places, and that he almost dragged his
limbs after him. I followed him toa small
enclosure, containing two simple tombs.
We seated ourselves on the turf, and he
began— ‘ My name is Fitz Herbert. I was
born in England, heir to a large fortue.—
My heart was once light; I possessed tal
ents and ambition ; and a beauty of per
son which attracted universal notice.—
Smile not mentally at this remembrance of
what I was. It comes from the sepulcre of
health, and pride, and vanity—from w hat
I mu. I gained the affections of a lovely
girl, and married her. I was happy then.
The vestibule of life was strewed with ro
ses, and its arches looked bright and gar
landed in the long perspective. But a vil
lain, who had been my rival with Henriet
ta, wormed himself into my confidence;
involved me in gambling speculations, and
ruined me. With my sunshine, the friends
who had basked in its favor deserted me.
My wife alone clung yet closer to my ruin,
like the daughters of Niobe to their broth
er’s corsc'9, when the unerring shafts were
Hying. I detected the turpitude of my be
trayer ; called him toa bloody reckoning,
and he fell beneath my hand.
‘ 1 fled for safety to the continent, with
my wife and child. Thro’France, we wan
dered to Prussia, where, reduced to hope
less want, without the menus of longer
supporting existence, we at last sat down
in the stupid apathy of despair. I plun
dered the first passenger I met—was de
tected—broken on the wheel—branded
and banished from the country.
•Thus lost to honor, health and fortune,
disgraced and denounced, ’by others dread
ed and myself a dread,* the pittance of a.
charitable band enabled us to reach the sea
coast. A remnant of my property, by an
accident, was restored to me. We sailed
for America and found out this miserable
residence- „My mother followed my for
tunes, and sought out my retreat. Affec
tion and sympathy have soothed my covert
in the wilderm but the barbs of the ar
chers are yet fjitfkling in my heart. My
two children, for Henrietta bore me anoth
er since our arrival, lie beneath those
stones. I can weep when I think of them,
and lam calm. But there are hours when
the smothered fires of the volcano burst
forth. The scars of the stigmatizing iron
will glow with tenfold heat; the torture of
the felon wheel returns with complicated
agony ; the spectres of peitidy and ingrati
tude rouse all the boijing fury of my soul.
S.unetiines conscience ascends her judg-
ment seat; and the avenger of blond stalks
before me in all his terrors. Sometimes —
but O! how rarely ! in the blue eye ot my
saintly fellow sufferer; I see a beconing
cherub, that points to an hereafter of re
pose ; or catch from the music of her harp,
notes which b?athe upon my soul, like dew
on the a gale of Eden on the re
gions oftornvv 0 i
•But go. iifet'my sorrows detain thee no
longer. Go, and in the vortex of dissipa
tion,the pageantry of pleasure, the bustle of
business, think on the crippled, broken
hearted, and crazed Fitz Herbert—and re
member that such things are.’ * *
A strange exemplification, thought I, as
I rode on, of the equal distribution of hap
piness and misery. Yet is not this man
altogether wretched; for the faithful ivy
attached its pertinacious fibres yet more
closely to this blasted oak. But while 1
have health and strength and intellect, let
me think on this wretch in the hour of de
pression, and learn gratitude from the com
parison. OiMICRON.
From thf. st. louis exq.ttirer.
Banks of the Missouri—Sectional view —
From the month if Kanzas to the Mis
sissippi.
Distance 500 milesthe river meandering
between the parallels of 38 and 39 degrees
north.
These parallels may be assumed as em
bracing the most favorable part of the Am
erican climate for all the most valuable
productions of animal and vegetable nature
—rendered still more favorable, on the
banks of the Missouri, by the extreme sa
lubrity of the country, and the unrivalled
swer ness and purity of the atmosphere.
ThU part of the Missouri, so happy in
the course of the river and the excellence
of the i further blest with a fortu
ity of soil of which the finest lands of Ken
tucky and Tennessee furnish neithera sub
ject of comjftfison nor even an idea of con
ception.
Mankind have been accustomed to turn
their eyes upon the banks ot the Nile for
the example of a country capable of sus
taining, on a given extent the heaviest
population of which the earth is capable.
it is believed that the banks of the Mis
souri, within the distance above mentioned,
will carry oft’ from the Nile the glory of
this noble preeminence. For the rich lands j
of the Missouri will vie in fertility with
those of the Nile ; they extend much fur
ther from the shores of the river ; and they
are bordered by natural meadows instead
of sand, in which myriads of cattle will
roam at pleasure, feeding on the bounties
of nature, r.nd multiplying the means of
subsistence to their owner without care or
labor to hnwself. Finally, the climate of
the Missoni 1 ’ is mild and temperate, proli
fic of life and of health ; while that of the
Nile lies under the track of a blazing sun,
and is filled with the seeds of pestilence
and death.—Who that compares one with
the other can say that the time will not
come wheo the Missouri, from its mouth
to the Rauzas, shall not exhibit a heavier
population than the banks of the Nile from
the cataracts to the Delta ; and shall not
display on its two borders more splendid
rows of cities, towns and villages ?
Banks of th*. Mississippi—Sectional view
— FrorA-tf.Fails of St. Anthony to the
mouth of the Ohio .
Distance 1,000 miles; course of the riv
er from north to south, from north latitude
44 degrees to 27 meandering between par
allels 12 and 19 degrees west longitude
from Washington city.
Pyramids of rocks appear in many pla
ces resemoiing old ruinous towers ; at oth
ers, amazing precipices ; one side of which
is covered with grass and gioves of trees
ascending gradually to its summit. From
thence the most beautiful views and exten
sive prospects which imagination can form,
open to tne eye. Verdant plains, fruitful
meadows,numerous islands, lie before you;
and all these abounding with a profusion of
flowers and berries interspersed with a va
riety ol trees which yield amazing quanti
ties of fruit without care or cultivation,
such as the pecan, the maple which produ
ces sugar, the walnut, hickory, beech, crab
apple, mulberry, cherry, anil gum ; with
an exuberant undergrowth of su mach, paw
paws,and white walnuts loaded with grape
vines, ami clusters of plum trees ben
ding under their blooming burdens ; above
all, the noble river flowing underyour feet,
sad attracting your wonder and admira
tion as liirss the eye can reach.—Cahvkk.
Who has ever stood upon the cliffs which i
overlook tlm plain of the American bottom
without realizing,in all its extent, the force
and beauty of this .charming picture r
“The country on the borders of the river
is rich in many places beyond description.
The bottoms which arc several miles wide
and of great extent, have the same fertility
tas the delta of the Nile, being like it, pure
ly, alluvial & incapable of being exhausted :
ahe uplands presenting in many places vast
areas of level plains of light,loose and black
toil of several feet in depth. Towards the
alls of St. Anthony are found vast forests
of white pine, firs,and red cedar, which may
j lie easily transported by means of the river
i to the future cities and “capitals which are
I toadorn its banks. The face of the coun-
try is divided from each other by proves of
oak,ash, hickory, walnut, elm, and cotton
wood (which is the Lombardy poplar ol the
Mississippi; many of these groves are
wholly free from any other undergrowth
but grass, so that the traveller may often
pass as well under a forest of large trees
as over the open prairie. These prairies
are entirely free from trees and bushes,
but are covered with an annual growth of
grass, flowering plants, ami strawberries;
and, if cultivated, would produce astonish
ing crops of wheat tobacco,flax,lndian corn
and hemp. But to judge of all its capaci
ties for producing what would minister to
the wealth and comfort of man, we should
turn our eyes to corresponding latitudes in
Europe and Asia, the seats of commerce,
agriculture and the arts ; and yet enjoying
in a less degree the advantages of rich soil,
noble rivers, anil salubrity of climate.”
The Mississippi, as I have already said,
runs from north to south, and w aters the
most temperate and fertile part of North
America. Thus Favorably situated, when
once its banks are covered with inhabitants,
they need not long be at a loss for the
means to establish an extensive and profit
able commerce. They will find the coun
tries towards the south almost spontaneous
ly producing silk, cotton, indigo, sugar and
tobacco: and die more northern parts,wine,
oil beef, tallow, skins, buffalo wool and furs
—with lead, copper, iron,coal, lumber,corn,
rice anil fruits, besides tine earth and barks
for dyeing. These articles, with which it
abounds even to profusion, may be trans
ported to the ocean by means of the river
without greater difficulty than that which
attends the conveyance of merchandize
down the Rhine, the Danube, the Wolga,
the Nile and the Euphrates. And should
the Spaniards at the mouth of the river un
dertake to obstruct the passage, multitudes
of adventurers, allured by the prospect of
such abundant riches, will ffock to it, and
establish themselves though at the expense
of rivers of blood. (Carver.) Vision in
1764— Fact, in less than half a century.
Reflections and experiments on central forces,
and on the constitution of the Globe we in
habit.
Copy of a letter to doctor Mitchell.
LF, ROY, GENESEE COUNTY, N. r. JITY 22, 1819.
Sir—Although a stranger, I shall make
no apology for addressing you, on so inter
esting a subject to all scientific men. Ac
cident brought me to reflect upon the form
ation of the earth. Taking it for granted,
that this earth has been of a consistence
that would take shape by motion, and from
what has been discovered, there are strong
[arguments in its favor, what would be its
internal structure ? 1 have observed in a
common barrel churn, that a quick regular
motion, would throw the cream upon the
sides of the churn, without any agitation,
leaving none at the ends, and I had ob
served, that a regular motion given to a
grindstone that was hung perfectly true,
would retain water upon the top of the
stone, without throwing it off'; I considered
that the laws of nature and of motion must
he uniform. It occurred to me that motion
must produce the same effects on this earth
that we see it has on smaller bodies. These
considerations induced me to make a ma
chine to demonstrate this as far as I possi
bly could. I accordingly prepared an ar
tificial globe, from a pine log, about nine
feet in circumference, as near the know n
shape ot this earth as possible: open at the
poles, the concavity of the inside, answer
able to the convexity of the outside, the
aperture at the poles answerable to about
36 degrees of the earth. I then fixed it on
pivots, with machinery to give it a very
quick motion. I then turned water in the
inside of the ball, and put it in motion, and
the event was as I had anticipated; the
water spread itself smooth upon it, in a
smooth even surface, without any attempts
to fly off. I then perforated the ball in a
number of places ; it created as many most
beautiful springs of water upon the outside
of the ball, which satisfactorily accounts
to me for the origin of springs, and of the
course of rivers, and it wili press the water
through the pores of the wood sufficiently
to moisen the whole outside surface.
I contemplate fashioning the outside
of the little globe like unto this earth,
cut out the oceans, continents, rivers, val
lies, &c. and if I can contrive any method
to counteract the effect that our atmosphere
will naturally have upon it, I have no doubt,
from what I have already observed, of the
effects of motion, that the rivers and val
lies may be tilled with water from the in
side, the ocean filled, the regular ocean cur
rents formed, the water flowing from the
outside to the inside through the poles, and
the whole phenomena explained in a satis
factory manner, so that the whole process
may be seen in miniature with the eve ;
the polar attraction of the needle explained
and the variation of it accounted for.
1 find by placing the north end of the
globe in a dark place, and having a bright
light placed in the position that the sun
bears to tins earth in a south latitude the
rays of light a>e thrown in at the south
pole, and reflected at right angles, ami paM
out nt the north pole in a manner perfectly
calculated to explain the aurora borealis”
anil show it in a most beautiful manner •’
and shows that the inside or hollow of the
earth, may be as well or better lighted and
‘vanned by the sun than the outside. From
these experiments, 1 am fully convinced ot
Symines’ theory, and that tlie earth Would
be incomplete without the hollow.
I am, with much respect, veur most obe
dient servant,
THOMAS TUFTS.
lion. Sami. L-Mitchell
ANNAPOLIS, (MB.) ACC. 5.
An occurrence has recently taken place
in this city, w hich is calculated to awaked
the deepest anxiety ami strongest indigna
tion in the bosom ot every man who loves
liberty and is aitacheu to the constitution
of his country. It is painful to us to be
obliged to notice a transaction which is
likely to become the subject of judicial in
vestigation ; but we find it impossible t<*
repress the indignation, which every man
must have felt, on witnessing the scene
which was exhibited hereon Friday last
At the approaching session of our court it
will be decided whethera private citizen wla>
considers himself agrieved by the m niiuct
of a collector, is to be deprived of the right
of demanding redress for the injury sus
tained,in the same peaceful and legal man.
ner that he would against any other indi
vidual. And, above all, whether the cob
lector of the port is invested w ith power
to call nut the troops of the United States
lor the purpose of resisting the constituted
authorities of the state. These aie seiions
and solemn questions, which will no doubt
be deliberately weighed, and impartially
and justly decided, by those to whom the
important duty of adn.inisterining the laws
is committed. All that we say is, that if
proceedings of this kind are suffered to pass
with impunity, we may prepare to bid a
long farewell to the liberties of our country.
VY r e have obtained Irom a friend the follow,
ing statement of the case, which we sub
mit to our readers without further com
ment.
A citizen of Md. considering himself
titled to goods which he thought had been
illegally and unwarrantably wrested li.mi
him by the collector of this port, sued out
a write replevin from the court of Anne-Ar
undle county, for the purpose of trying the
title to them. The writ was placed in the
hands of the high sheriff; who delivered it
to one of his deputies to be executed.—
When the deputy proceeded to to discharge
his duty, part ot the goods were lying on a
wharf in the neighborhood of the. collector’s
warehouse. The officer of justice took
possession of them, when they were imme
diately seized and taken from him byastm
of the collector, and some other men with
him. The sheViff'on beinginformod of this
outrage, applied in person to the collector
for a delivery of the goods. His request
was rejecter!.
He then intimated to the collector, that
he should be under the necessity of per
forming bv forcible means the duty which
was imposed upon by law and his” oath of
office. To this intimation the collector
replied, that he should resort to force in
order to prevent the execution of the writ.
About an hour afterwards the sheriff’ pro
ceeded towards the warehouse in which
the goods were contained, and on Ids ap
proach discovered a detachment of United
States troops drawn up in military array,
with an officer at their head, across the
street which led to the spot where they
were stationed, one of the soldiers present
ed a loaded musket to his breast so near
that he was almost touched by (he bayonet,
and told him that if he proceeded another
step his life would be the forfeit.
The sheriff” perceiving that it would be
impracticable for him to proceed without
hazarding the lives of many of his fellow
citizens in a contest with American troops,
desisted from the attempt, and lodged a
complaint w ith the chief justice of the
state. Warrants were immediately issued
for the apprehension of some of the offend
ers, who we understand have been arrested,
and compelled to enter into a recognizance
for thedaringoutrage they have committed
on the law of the land,and the liberty of the
free people of this country. This is a sim
ple recital of the facts that occurred, tom*
mentis unnecessary, and would perhaps
at the present time be improper
Maryland Gazette
SOMETHING A'EJF.
Extract of a letter from New-York, under dote
of the 27th iust.
“ A considerable quantity of Wheat ha*
recently been importod at the eastward
from the Mediterranean, ft is, to be sure,
not ot the first quality.but will probably
makefine flour. There are upwards of jttCO
bushels in one parcel, a part of which has
been sent here, and sold at 50 cents ! Th
Wheat should be brought from Europe t'J
this country is certainly surprising. an( ’
speaks a language that cannot well b e
misunderstood.”
i
A FAIR OF DWARFS.
Mr. Pape and his wife now in London,
are Prussians, and of remarkable sm*l’
stature. He ia about 36 years of age
not more than eighteen inchps in |f *
His wife overtops him about 6 inches. J
dwell in a smalt portable house, adapted
their |ize.