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A TIRESOME RUEST.
“He sits and w ill forever sit.”
There is belonging to the race of human
bipeds, a soil of troublesome Ircing who,
setting no value on their own’ time, care ve
ry little bow much they trespass upon that
of their more-industrious neighbors. —They
are a sort of stay-for-ever persons, who, lia
ing tailed over the whole world at one sit
ting, commence again and talk it over anew
from beginning to end before they are rea
dy to take their leave. In a word, they sit
and.sit, and sit, long enough, to fully justi
fy the motto we have just quoted. Beside
their disposition to hang on, there is gener
ally about these persons a wonderful habe
tude7Tfslowness’in taking a hint, unparal
leled 1 with the rest of the human race. To
give a single instance of this sitting propen
sity, we will introduce the story of a plain
spoken old lady, from the land of steady
habits:
“l never seed the heat of that ere Cap
tain Spinout,” said she; “would you believe
it, he called ct our house last night just as
I had done milking, and wanted to burrow
my brass ketie for his wife to make apple
sauce in. Oh yes, says 1, she may have it
at vHimww, O ■ u'm i^pdmtvit, l TTAiTt
diiectly and fetched it out of the hack room,
and=6oLit down beside him. Well, present
ly our tea was ready, and I couldn’t do no
more than ax him to take tea with us. Oh
no, he said, he couldn’t stay a minute ; hut,
however, he concluded he’d take a drink of
cider with my husband ; and so he did.
Well, after I’d done tea, l took my knitting
work and sot down ’till I rather thought it
high time that all honest people should be a
bed. But Captain Spinout had forgot his
hurry and thar he was still settin and talkiri
with my husband as fast as ever. I hate
above all things to be rude, but l couldn’t
help hintin to the Captain that it ivasgrow
in lpte, and maybe his wife was waitin for
the ketie. But he did not seem to take
the hint at all—thar he sot, and sot, and
sot.
Finding that wotds wouldn’t have any ef
fect, I next rolled up my knitting work, sot
hack the cheers, and told the gals it was time
to go to bed. But the captain didn’t mind
it no more than if it had been the bite of a
flea—but thar he sot, and sot, and sot.
Well, next, I pulled off my shoes, roasted
my feet, as I commonly do jist afore goin to
bed ; but the Captain didn’t mind it no
more than nothin at all—thar he sot, and sot,
and sot.
Then l kivered up the fire, and tho’t he
could not help takin the hint; hot, la me !
he didn’t take no notice on’t at all—not the
least in the world—but thar he sot, and sot,
and sot.
Thinks I, you’re pretty slow at takin a
hint, Captain Spinout; so I sed sort o’plain
ly, that I tho’t it was bed lime—speakin’
always to my husband—hut jist so as I tho’t
the Captain could not help takin it to him
self—hut la ! it didn’t do no good at all—
for thar he sot, arid sot, and sot.
Seein thar warn’t no likelihood of his go
iti home, I axed him to’stay all night.—Oh
HO IP epi) Lua/•rtiililn't rvo"*” i .
i aHdi warn tno use m sayin anything.
I went to bed. But la me! would you
think it, when I got up in the mornin’, as
sure as you’re alive, thar was Captain Spin
out settin jist where I left him the night be
fore—and thar,’ concluded, the old lady,
lifting up her hands in a despairing attitude
“and thar he sot, and sot, and sot.”
Pumpkin Vines and Asparagus. —We
have frequently seen it stated in the papers,
and by horticulturalists, that there was no
thing in the vegetable kingdom of such ra
pid growth as the pumpkin vine, and we
have also heard that story Dan Marble tells
about a race between one of these prolific
vines and a lazy man of his acquaintance
Down East, in which the latter was distanc
ed. But this is nothing in comparison
with the growth ofanother vegetable, which
at this season of the year, is found in our
market in great abundance, commonly—
known as asparagus. We recollect that in
our youth there was in the old homestead
garden an asparagus bed, which, while the
onion beds, and the beat beds, and the pars
nip beds were left to the boys to cultivate,
this alone was tended by the nurturing hand
of our kindest of mothers. It was the
spiing time of which we speak, and the sea
son was backward. The bed was, in con
sequence, as yet neglected, and an old hen,
the patriarch of the yard, having not the
fear of our mother in her eyes, had made her
nest, which was partially sheltered by a large
burdock leaf, in the very centre of it, where
she set with all the patience of a philoso
pher, awaiting the hour when her philoso
phy would be rewarded with an extensive
brood of younglings.
After she had been sitting about a week,
there came one afternoon a soft warm show
er, which so warmed the ground that dur
ing the night the asparagus sprung up about
nine inches in height, and on going out the
next morning we found the old hen at about
the same elevation on the tops of it, looking
not unlike a bunch of tow on a hatchel, ap
parently reflecting upon the propriety of her
strange position, her eggs being on the
ground. We merely mention this as an
evidence that the “old blue hen” had not
calculated upon the growing ambition of a
bed of asparagus in a warm day. Who’s
talking about pumpkin vines ?
“A True Story. —A few Sundays since in
the town of H , in the western part of
this State a minister who, to the shame of
the church bo it said, was suspected on
very good evidence of indulging in convi
vial entertainments with a chosen set, read
the hymn, and sat down as usnal while it
was being sung. Wlieth r unmindful of
bis sacred functions, or overladen with pota
tions deep, did not appear from the infor
mation given ; but it so happened that while
the choir were engaged in their devotions,
the sleepy god Morpheus took full posses
sion of his senses.
The singing was at length finished, and
the congregation waited—and waited fur
the good word but none came. As soon ns
the deacons observed the sad catastrophe,
one of them turned to the parson, and said
to him— "lt’s out,” meaning the hymn. “Is
it” sad the par-son,hslf waking— “well,Jill
vp again, and charge it to Jim ijannet”
Home. —The following beautiful summa
ry of the enjoyments of this sacred spot, is
extracted from the deservedly popular no
vel, “De Vere.” The hero is represented
as approaching his native place after a long
absence:
“A gleam of satisfaction broke in upon
hi;n which every one lias more or loss expe
rienced on returning to his home ; that ma
gic word which has such a charm in it to all,
that he must be lost indeed, to whom it does
not bring some comfort. For there is not,
in the whole range of moral observation, a
ny thing so pregnant with satisfaction or in
terest, as the associations that cling to this
simple word. Shelter, if not independence
of all that may he without, together with
the gratification of all the charities that are
within, are the geneial notions which here
lay hold of us. These are confined to any
rank, or any nation, to any scale of enjoy
ments, or any degree of wealth. On the
contrary, the more moderate the home, the
greater the chance for those peaceful reflec
tions, upon which the whole value of it de
pends. If ever the poor man thinks himself
a man ; if ever his mind is erect, or his
manners softened, it is at home. It is there
that he may laugh at the struggles of ambi
lion, which if ever scornful, can give no
more than the power lie lias already of fan
cying himself supreme in his own little do
main.
Hence, it is not marble, nor gold, nor
crowds of followers, that form any part of
the value of its treasure, but the self-suffice
ing spirit with which it calls up the pride of
a monarch.
That this is true, is proved by every man
who has ever found pleasure in the silent
hour, when he shuts out the wotld to con
verse with himself. Nor do I know a more
enviable situation than his, who with his
thoughts at peace, turns the key ofhiscliam
ber upon the struggles of man; and while
the lords of the kingdom quarrel with for
tune for not giving them a wider rule, says
to his own heart, within the precincts of
perhaps a few square feet. “ Here am I,
lord of myself.”
Neat Children. —Send two children into
.the street; let one be a bare-headed, bare
footed ragamuffin, with a face which per
haps never had more than one thorugh
washing, hair that never heard of any finer
comb than his own greasy fingers, and a
mouth about which are grimmed in, and
stuccoed in relief, the remains of a week’s
broth or porridge, and nobody would think
of givingjhim a hand tohelp him through any I
mud-puddle: or over any gutter, unless !
where they thought he would lie drowned ;
and this only perhaps because the admoni
tions of conscience might he a little stronger
than their disgust at the sight of him ; and
if he should gel run over in the street, you
would hear no other remark than that he
was a dirty dog, and might have got out of
the way. On the other hand send a sweet
little girl into the street, looking like anew
blown rose, with the glistening dewdrops
hanging from its leaves with her neat bon
frock emulating the snow-drift in its white
ness, her unsoiled stockings Indicating the
perfection of natiire’sstatuary beneath them,
her shoes reflecting the brightest polish of
art, and, above all, her face as clean as air,
as transparent as you know her untainted
mind is under all this, and there is not a
chimney-sweep so low that he would not
give her the sidewalk, nor a clown, even
among the most clownish, who would not,
if he dared touch her, wipe his hands upon
his clothes, and with delight carry her half
a mile over the crossings, rather than that
she should soil, I had almost said even the
sole of her slipper.
General Jackson. —A letter writer in the
Batavia Times and Journal, gives the fol
lowing account of an interview with Andrew
Jackson.
“1 had a greater desire, however, to vis
it Gen. Jackson at the Hermitage, than to
study Nashville, arid took the opportunity
upon a delightful morning to ride out to his
plantation. The distance from Nashville
is eleven miles, over a McAdamised road,
passing through beautiful rolling country.
The Hermitage is in full view from the main
toad, though in approaching it you take a
lateral road at an acute angle for some 80
rods, which brings you directly before the
General’s mansion ; the grounds in front
are spacious, and adorned with various for
est trees, locusts and shrubbery I lie house
itself is built of brick, two storieshigh, with
awing on either side of the main part, which
has a double porch, running its entire
length, constructed it. good taste, and alto
gether a handsome building. At the time
of my arrival the General was in the gar
den, and by the servant who ushered me in
to the parlor, I sent him my card. In a few
moments I saw him coming towards me
through the hall, unaccompanied, resting
both hands upon along stick, which sup
ported his steps, his figure was bent as he
walked with slow and difficult step. I wont
forward to meet him, and was received
with the dignity and kindness so peculiarly
winning in a person of his years and cele
brity. I shall cut short the description of
the interview—to me it was a melancholy
pleasure, so feeble was the old man and so
difficult his utterance ; there were none
others present. He showed me the pistols
of Gen. Washington and his own sword. I
thought his eys brightened as lie pointed my
attention to them. Ilis adopted son and
future heir was absent with his wife, and I
saw no one except servants in the house be
sides the old General. The sands of his life
are nearly spent —the passing of a few more
suns will see him gathered to the silence of
the tomb, and the stranger at Nashville will
ride out to look at the grave of him whose
existence will be but “in history, and the
hearts of his countrymen.”
Major Tochman, the Polish excile ui, a
recent lecture, said, “ during the war with
Russia, even the Polish women were en
gaged in raising forces, and taking com
mand of them. One was created a colonel,
another a captain, others lieutenants, and in
one instance a lady was the first lieutenant
of a troop in which her husband was second
lieutenant, and subject to hor command.”
ad> if jj Hist maa © m il apit*
A Cajdtal thing. —Thompson, when he
wrote his “Castle of Indolence,” must
had some such picture of the pleasure of
doing nothing, as tnay be gathered from the
following capital sketch from the Boston
Post. The idea of the colored idler look
ing on his industrious white representative
is peculiarly rich, and lemindsus of Byron
though the story is exactly opposite—where
the Greek exquisite averred that he never
could bear to see a man at hard work, for
the sight of his exertions always gave him
the “ stomach-ache !” The Post says—
It was quite amusing a day or two since,
to see a white man sawing a cord of wood,
while a black fellow stood looking on, with
his hands in his pockets, giving directions,
viz:—“Put dal ‘tick a lcetle finder to tie
middle ob tie hoss. Stop, fuss! and put dat
cat ’tick tin de top, and saw dem boat toged
der! Lipt up dat log up, out oh tie gutter.
Saw away fasser, you lazy lubber; you don’t
airn de salt oh your porridge!” ’1 lie gen
tleman to whom the wood belonged just
then stepped up anti asked Pompey why
the white man was doing the work which
lie (the black) hat! engaged to do ? Said
Pomp, ~’Cause me hire him for de job.”— !
“Ah! and how much do you give him?” i
“Four and sixpence.” “How is that ? You j
are to have hut four shillings, theiusnal |
price.” “ Oh, nebber mind, it's uo>l s>x- j
pence to he gemman, let-tie while ! j
Extraordinary Recognition. —Ore day
last week a singular circumstance occurred
in Wombwell’s Royal manage; io, co&obor
ative of the retentive memory said to Repos
sessed by this most vicious of the finest
tribe—the tiger. A sailor who hai( been
loitering here anti there to admire, ana iden
tify sun.e of the animals with some of those j
lie liatl seen in distant climes, was attracted
by the strange noise made by a tigei, who
seemed to he irritated beyond endurance.
Jack, some alarmed, sought the keeper to
inquire the cause of so singular a display of
feeling, which lie remarked, became more
boisterous the nearer he approached the nn
mal ; the keeper replied that the behavior
of the tiger indicated either that he was
vastly pleased or annoyed ; upon this the
sailor approached the den, and after
gazing at the tiger for a few minutes, during
which the animal became frantic with seem
ing rage, lashing his tail against his sides
and giving utterance to the most flightful
bellowings, discovered the tiger to he the
same animal brought to England under the
especial care oftlie weather beaten tar. It
now became Jack’s turn to be delighted, as
it appeared the tiger was, in thus recog
nising his old friend ; and, after making re
peated applications to be permitted to enter
the den for the purpose, as he said, of
“shaking a fist,” with the beautiful animal,
he was suffered so to do ; the iron door was
opened, and in jumped Jack to the delight
of himself and striped friend, and the aston
ishment of the lookers on. The affection of
the animal was now shown by cariessing
and licking the pleased sailor, whom he
seemed to welcome with the heartiest satis
) unt> vTticir itu Jnmcai ittl hrl\ itJtf
den, the anguish of the animal appeared iri
su ppot table.— English paper.
Howto get a Feather Bed. —“ In carrying
off even tire small thing of a feather bed.
Jack Tate, the bold bugler, showed the skill
of a high practitioner, for he descended the
stairs backwards.” “ Backwards !” said
Larry Hogan, “ what’s that fori” “You'll
see by and bye,” said Groggins; “hedecen
ded backwards, when suddenly he heard a
faymale voice exclaiming, “ Where are you
going with that bed V’ “ I’m going up
stairs with it, ma’am,” said Jack, whose
backward position favored his lie, and lie
began to walk up again. “Come down,”
said the lady, “we want no beds here,man.”
“ Mr. Sullivan, ma’am, sent me home \viih
it himself,” said Jack still mounting the
stairs. Come down,l tell you,” said the la
dy,in a great rage, “there is no Mr.Suilivan
lives here.” “ I beg your pardon ma’am,”
said Jack, turning round and marching off
with the bed, fra and aisy. Well, there
was a regular sliillo in the house when the
thing was found out, and cart ropes would’nt
howld the lady for the rage she was in at
being diddled.”
The Female. —The following natural and
true description of the Parental comfort de
rived from Female children, is from a
Speech of Burrows, an eminent Irish law
yer
“The love of offspring—t'nc most forci
ble of all our instincts—is even stronger to
ward the female than the male child. (t is
wise it should be so—if is more required.
There is no pillow, on which the heart of a
Parent, anguished by sickness or by sorrow,
can so sweetly repose as on the bosom of
an affectionate daughter. Her attentions
are unceasing. She is utterly incapable of re
maining inactive. The boy may afford oc
casional comfort and pride to his family ;
they may catch glory from his celebrity
and derive support from his acquisitions ;
but lie never communicates the solid and un
ceasing comforts of life, which are derived
only from rlie care and tender solicitude of
the female child. She seems destined by
Providence to be the perpetual solace and
happiness of her Parent. Even after her
marriage, her filial affections are unimpaired.
She may give her hand and heart to her hus
band, but still she may share her cares and
attentions with her Parent, without a pang
of jealousy or distrust fiom him. He only
looks on them as the assured pledge of fi
delity, and the unerring evidence of a good
disposition.”
Wonderful Child. —We are told that
there is a child living in the south western
section of this city, two years of age, who
smokos cigars, chews tobacco, marches up
and down the pavement beating a drum,
with all imaginable consequence ; and be
sides, is but a sucking baby ! He is the
wonder of all the passers by, and the ad
miration and boast of the neighborhood. If
the little fellow now exhibits so much of the
man, what may not be expected of him
when he shall have grown to maturity ?
Great Country this—great country—for
children, precocity and tobacco!— Balt. Rc
puh.
A Conscientious Murderer. —The Vermon
ters have recently taken great credit to
theihselves, as being amongst the most
trustworthy people, from the Tact of a con
vict having traveled alone to their State
Prison and presenting the official evidence
of Ids conviction of a felony and sentence
•o imprisonment ; but the case of Leavitt,
who was arraigned last week at Plymouth,
Mass., for the murder of Mary Knapp,
throws Vermont entirely into the back
ground. Leavitt on being arraigned for the
murdet] answered “ I must plead guilty.”
The Ct|urt then interfered and informed him
that all killing was not murder, and that
althoum he had taken the life of an individ
ual, ya it would he for the jury to say,
after hearing the testimony, whether he had
been guilty of murder or of a less offence,
and that he had no right to throw away his
own life. Counsel was assigned the prison
er end he was remanded. Three days af
terwards he was brought into Court and
sti'l adhered to his plea of guilty, on the
pr mud that he was too conscientious to tell a
lit. The Court being unable to change his
determination, again remanded him.
Cotton instead of Einen. —lt is astonish
ing to what an extent the use of cotton fa
in ics has succeeded that of linen. We see
it stated in an English paper, (the Stanford
Mercury) that twenty years ago, the con
sumption of linen cloth for shirting and
sheeting was generally estimated to lie dou
ble the quantity of linen to that of cotton.
Ten yea? s ago, the quantity used for the
same purj oses. of each material, was about
equal. Last week a shopkeeper near Mil
ton Mowbray, took an account, for three
days, (it hPng Martinmas,) oftlie number
of yards sold of linen and calico: the result
proved that there was foutteeti times the
quantity of calico sold to that of linen. In
Manufacturing towns, probably, the differ
ence would he greater. In woollen goods,
the reverse is taking place. During the
high price of wool, many articles were sub
stituted, some wholly, and others, by the
admixture of cotton: now that wool is con
siderably reduced in price, the substitution
of cotton is on the decrease.— Hunt's Ma
gazine.
Distressing Suicide. —lt becomes our
painful duty to record the death of Master
Francis M. Peeples, a promising young
man of, IS years old, son of YY r m. H. Pee
ples, Esq. of Perry county, under the fol
lowing distressing circumstances: He left
his father’s fesidence on the fourth inst., with
a runaway negro, belonging to Mr. Todd,
who resides nearYVarrenton,and some stray
mules and a policy. Having understood
that the mules belonged to the Rev. P. 8.
Graves of this place, he left them here (Mr.
Graves net being at homo at the time) and
went over the river to convey the negro
home which he did, for which Mr. Todd
paid him 820. He came hack here on the
fifth inst. and commenced gambling with
some black legs who infest our town ; being
—,, — j \.x, lost all
his money and a gold watch worth 75 or SO
dollars and borrowed some sixty dollais
from different persons in town for the pur
pose, as he said, of making change, which
he lost also. He then started, as he said, to
go home; but feeling himself disgraced,
and unwilling to meet his family, he loitered
along until the 6th inst. when he got up as
far as Ur. Randall’s at YVoodlawn, he bor
rowed a gun, as he said to shoot a bird or
squirrel. In the course of a few minutes the
Doctor’s family heard the gun fire, and af
ter waiting some time for him to return and
his failing to do so, they went to the place
where they heard the report of the gnu, and
found himina sitting posture by a fencedead,
with his brains blown out—-having stuck the
breech of the gun in the ground and placed
the muzzle against his forehead !
We have been thus particular in giving
a statement of this horrid affair, hoping that
it may deter others from pursuing the same
course. What a solemn warning to the
youth, of our country!— Selma Free Press.
Newly-invented Steam Carriages. —A let
ter from Copenhagen •nf the 4th instant
says: “ Steam carriages, upon a system
newly invented by M. Norrgber of Swee
den, a locksmith and very ingenious me
chanician, have been established between
this capital and Corsoer. They carry thir
ty passengers, and have spacious stowage
above and below for luggage and merchan
dise. Their engines are of eight or nine
horse power, and ascend with ease hills
whose angles do not exceed thirty degrees.
They travel at the rate of a Danish mile (a
little less than two French leagues) in fr om
thirty to forty-five minutes; so that they run
to and from Copenhagen, a distance of four
teen Danish miles, in about nine hours,
while our ordinary diligences, drawn by four
horses, take sixteen hours to perform the
same distance with only twelve passengers
and their luggage.”
The ruling Passion. —Caesar folded his
robe around him and fell with dignity “ev
en at the base of Pompey’s Statue.”
John Adams died on the 4th of July,
1*26, the 50th Anniversary of American
Independence, with the word, “Indepen
dence,” on his lips.
Thomas Jefferson's last words on the same
day, were—“ YVarnthe Committee (of Pub
lic safety) of their danger.”
Napoleon died, with the professional
phrase, “ Ttte d'Armce,” trembling on his
tongue.
General Harrison’s last words (supposed
to be addressed to Mr. Tyler) were—“ Sir :
I wish you to understand the true principles
of the Government. I wish them carried
out. I ask nothing more.”
Captain Lawrence’s dying injunction was
—“ Don’t give up the Ship.”
Commodore Bainbridge, when lie lay
struggling in death, summoning all his en
ergies for a final effort, exclaimed—“ Call
all hands to board the enemy.”
And recently, Commodore Porter, when
dying in a foreign land, directed as his last
request, that “ his body should be buried at
the foot of the flag-staff, that even after death,
the glorious stars and sttines of America
might wave over him.”
The leamrd Profession. —It is surpris
ing how many young men of our country
aim at lieing Lawyers, and Doctors, not to
speak of Divines.
To occupy that position which a man am
bitious of fulfilling his duties to his country,
would naturally feel, such a one should cal
culate the chances of success open to him
before he launches his fortunes, for good
and evil, upon the voitex of busy life.
Success in any honorable pursuit devol
opes the character of every individual, who
can generally, by deserving, command suc
cess, but if he rushes without talent into any
profession or trade, or even with talent, in
to one too much crowded to authorize him
tohope for successful competition with those
who have preceded him, he had much bet
ter lyjve turned to some other pursuit where
in his energies might have been properly
developed, and the country which he inhab
its, receive the full benefit of his labor and
exertions in administering to the general
weal.
We are aware that some who seek to em
bark in the learned professions think it be
neath them to become apptentices to a
trade.
How preposterous, how ridiculous, ns if
the mind does not constitute the man, and
energy of character in any calling lie may
undertake, command success.
The mechanic, whether carpenter or ma
son, who frames and fashions the stately
edifice; the shipwright, who knits together by
his sinewy arm, the proportions of the beau
tiful vessel, which is to extort the admira
tion of his fellow men, feels a glow of plea
sure when she glides peacefully into her na
tive element, and with swelling canvass
skims like a bird the surface of the ocean
wave.
The blacksmith, the shoe maker, nay, all
trades are honorable. “ YY’ould that we had
been bred a printer,” has more than once
burst from our lips, for circumstances made
us discard law and all its quibbles for that
vocation, which is ours. Not that we deem
the legal profession dishonorable. When not
made to pander to the worst passions of the
human heart, it is highly honorable. Be
sides it is generally the path of ambition,
for in it public speaking, which charms the
multitude, becomes an every day employ
ment, and he who can witch the car with
studied or natural eloquence, is generally
popular.
As we implied before, the man exalts the
calling, not the calling the man. A young
friend of ours says that he wishes to build
a ship. Let the ruling passion of youth lie
matured by encouragement, and anon, Geor
gia may produce her Eckford, oi his succes
sor, in this beautiful branch of the mechanic
arts. — Savannah G corgi an.
Increase of the Bar. —At the present term
of the New York Supreme Court, 43 per
sons were admitted as Counsellors, and SS
as Attorneys at haw.
The Isle of Pines—More of the Pirate. —
The following communication from Capt.
Rand, of the ship Ceylon, from Boston, will,
we doubt not, be read with interest. We
do not think the vessel seen by Capt. Rand
is the S;yi Antonio, but we think his evi
dence renders it almost certain that a pirat
ical vessel of some kind lias been cruising
in the Gulf. Too many persons have seen
her to he mistaken as to her identity, and
some of our’ National vessels should endea
vor to discover her “whereabouts.”— N. O.
Tropic.
New Orleans, 23 d May, 1543.
To the Editors of the Tropic :
Gentlemen, —Since my arrival at this port,
(15th instunt,) I have seen several notices
in your and other journals, irt regard to a
piratical craft seen and chased off the Isle of
Pines, and that said suspicious vessel was
the missing Texian schooner “San Anto
nio.” I have every reason to think that we
fell in on our late passage from Liverpool
to this port, with the same vessel.
On the Stir instant, while running along
a few miles outside the reef to westward of
Sand Key, and steering for Tortugases, n
bout 6, P. M. a low black craft passed with
in pistol shot of us to leeward, standing
down the Gulf. The attention of all was
attracted by the great number of men on
boaid her, and particularly to six or eight
looking out aloft with spy glasses, eagerly
watching and scrutinizing a brigantine to
the N. E.of us, standing to westward. YY’e
could see the” heads of some thirty men a
bove her bulwarks, and, what appeared a
pivot gun amidships, and several persons
hastily covering it over with pea jackets.
At first, 1 took her to be one of the Havana
and New Orleans traders, with passengers,
but on further reflection my opinion was
changed, as she was not steering a course for
Cuba. N. >r were the men passengers, but
sailors. I concluded it must he a Mex
ican or Texian man of war, and did not
wish to be known. One of my crew said
at once, “she looks exactly like the Texian
schooner San Antonio.” 1 had never be
fore heard of such a vessel to my recollec
tion. From the above circumstances, arid
what I have since heard, I am under the
fullest conviction that it was the above nam
ed piratical vessel. She was painted en
tirely black—set very low in the water,
was brig rigged forward and schoonerabaft,
with a maintop sail and maintop gallant sail,
and appeared to move with great velocity
through the water. It is my opinion that
she was going through the Gulf into the
Atlantic, probably to cruise about the Equn
tor. I ought, perhaps, to have made this
communication before, hut it may not now
be too late to lead to detection.
I am, gentlemen, your obd’t serv’t
WILLIAM RAND,
Commander of ship Ceylon, of Boston.
In the practice of politely bowing stran- !
gers out of a pew where there is still room
to spare, is there not a lack of even worldly
courtesy 1 “Have you not mistaken the
pew, sirl” blandly said one of these Sun
day Chesterfields, as, with emphatic grace
fulness, he opened the door. “ l beg par
don,” repliec the stranger rising to go out;
“I fear I have. I took it for a Christian’s.”
To make a Twelfth Cake. —Having man
ufactured eleven in any manner you please,
make another, ar.d you will have a twelfth
cake.
Astounding Rumor. —For a week past it
has been whispered about in this city, that
a draft drawn by the Mexican Government in
favor of Sam Houston, President of Texas
for the twenty five thousand dollars, has been
paid at the counter of one of the most promi
nent commercial houses in New Orleans?
We learn further, that by the steamshm
New York, which sailed on Monday even
ing for Galveston, information of such a
character was transmitted to Texas as will
leave scarcely the shadow of a doubt up (m
the minds of the people there, of the truth
of the rumor which was only whispered
here. The next news from Texas will he
most anxiously expected, and may he fraught
with intense interest.— N. O. Tropic, ‘Zith
ultimo.
Flag staff for the Chinese Mission.
were shown yesterday the flag staff for this
mission, which is to be carried nut in the
Bi atuly wine. The main staff’ is 82, the top.
mast 51, the circular frame 20 feet in diam
eter—and the circular top is lOfeet in diam
eter. The staff’ has a beautiful teWranh
with the letters N. E. W. S. in gilt on U
surmounted by a gilded copper globe, with
a gilt arrow for the vein. The copper WOT k
was manufactured by Mr. VVm. D. Roberts
Jr., of this Borough. There is a complete
set of rigging attached. The whole was
constructed tinder the direction of Mr. Fran
cis Decordy, formerly of New York, hut
for the last 18 months a resident of this Bor
ough.— Norfolk Beacon, 20 th ult.
© os a © a m & il7~
For the “ Southern Miscellany.”
Mr. Editor —l discover in your paper of
the 20th ultimo, that, after giving some ac
count of the Agricultural Fair of Adams
County, Mississippi, you suggest the pro
priety and importance of organizing an agri
cultural society for Morgan County. I thank
vou for the suggestion, and hope that your
efforts to promote this most important branch
of industry will he tangibly appreciated by
the public.
I have long wished to see some movement
made by which our people might he awa
kened upon this subject. I have, therefore,
concluded to submit a few reasons in sup
port of the suggestion you make. Morgan
County once sustained double her pres
ent population, and supported it profitably
to the occupants of her soil. Why is this ?
Her territorial limits have not bet n contract
ed. The answer is an easy, though a very
melancholy one: one acre of her soil would
then produce what three will hardly do now.
The consequence is. that our population is
yearly decreasing—many of our most valu
able citizens are leaving us, and are going
in search of more productive land.
Can these things he remedied ? I answer,
that what has been done iri other places is,
at least, worth the effort with us. Y\"e know
that in many portions of the world, so far
from exhausting lands by cultivation, they
actually eniichthem yearly. The truth is,
we have been spoiled by having had allot
ted to us by the Almighty a rich freehold
well adapted to the culture nt'ihe great sta
ple of this country. Like a profligate heir,
we have been reckless of our inheritffcice,
till we begin to find, like him, that the best
estate may be ruined hv perpetual drafts on,
and none in favor of it. Let us then profit
by experience, and begin to husband our
remaining resources, and try to regain by
a well organized system, what we have lost
by the reckless prodigality of our soil. YVe
haveevery inducement to impmveour lands;
in the first place we have a soil highly sus
ceptible of improvement—our lands being
mostly based upon good clay foundations;
and again, our county occupies a position in
the State in point of locality, which, with its
health, temperature and good pure water,
will make it at all times a desirable place of
residence, and will not only induce our pop
ulation to remain, if properly cultivated and
improved, but will induce others to come
amongst us. These are reasons of a local
character. I might, if I did not fear of
tresspassing too far upon your limits, give
many more of a general character. I will,
however, submit but one or two : I think it
could be demonstrated that, by adopting a
system of cultivation, by which we retain
what soil vve have, and augment and improve
the same by the proper collection and ap
plication of manure, we shall not only add
yearly to the value of our lands, but produce
more profitable crops. Again, it is melan
choly to look upon any thing animate or in
animate, in a state of decline—hence, you
will always find more of energy and vigor
in a newly settled community. Everything
there has a tendency to buoy up and give
elasticity to the spirits. YY’ell, if this be
true, what must be the effect produced up
on the mind of the way-farer, who jogs up
and down our high way (and especially if
lie had traversed the same path some twen
ty-four years ago) where once stood the
poplar, the walnut, and the red bud, he be
holds now the deep-washed gully, with here
and there a patch of broom-sedge, and,
per chance, a bunch of the blackberry-bush,
that has taken sustenance from the decay
ing roots of some friendly stump, or that
of some vagrant log. No wonder you hear
so much complaint of “ blue devils.” But
lastly, the system of cultivation (or of land
butchery) hitherto pursued in the country,
has been such as to hold out but one solitary
inducement to embark in it; to wit: the
profits in dollars and cents, and that is now
pretty well over. How often have you heard
the young man say, “ I can’t think of plant
ing—l’ve taken too much pains with my
education to busy myself in that way.”—
Hence the learned professions are all over
stocked, and loafers “ abound in the land,”
the truth is, that a young man, of cultivated
mind, can find nothing to facinatc in our
farming, because we have neither science
nor system in it. The most ignorant Afri
can could have the advantage of him, for
he would have some experience. How de
sirable, then, so to improve this, the support
of all other professions, as to allure the tal
ented and enterprising to its embrace; to
sweeten labor by converting drudgery into
scientific experiment, and so stamping mind
upon the laws of nature, as to bring up, out
of our present confusion, the most beautiful
system. I will not extend this article by