Newspaper Page Text
The Athenian.
* .. rut a rutsiAN.J
VACAT10X.
Ha*k! nuain tin* hell is ringing,
Aii'l ns noli** a* pealing by,
T«» ilie villas!** siMinr! an- Hinirinp,
li Now vacation’s iliauiiqr
Vac.vion! scenes nftlirillinp rapture
S\v I! 1I1*; student’* throbbing l»r**.r *,
To bli ful thoughts a willinc capture,
U ’ thy name, how often blest.
How the chains of CoHcffo broken.
Which, in vain, he'd to tier >
See Ins smile*, n joyful token,
Of unbounded liberty.
Now his home, hi* friends awr.it him,
IVi'Mids with their extended arms;
And /> if )tot)co, a maid will preel Inin,
nlnshinp with unrivull'd charms.
•Scenes of childhood flit before liirn.
Uric through) fancy only seen ;
Visions sweet, have oft p-meo'er him,
Thinking what such scenes have been.
There's Ihn oak whose branch’s spreading,
Kept tar otf the hurninp Min,
Under this, no danper dira ini»,
(>, \* hat boyi-h deeds wv.e done.*.
Tbfir I-* the a.j» >ur standinp near,
En«*»iclod still with evergreen;
To recollection pa-sing dear,
V.'htA happy motac.its hero were sccn4
N<.w the woods nro all tesoundinp,
Otioinir bind with dog and pun;
Sec him run, hallooing, bounding,
What a world, a world of “fun.”
Tb w . els mid groves, each liiM and glen,
Would i hat u feeble port’- pen
Could give a picture half but true.
Balmv sice,#, unbroken slumber,
Full enjoyment—all hi* own ;
'Twould hr a task indeed, t«> number
Halt the blessings on bun thrown.
Hail vacation ! boundless pleasure
Mods the student’s nrd nt g«2n;
0!»! thy rnooients sweet of lei uiro,
Beyond description, sweet thy davr.
BOLAND.
I whale hflgnn to jjHsp, which afforded i.Tic. ant Th* ftdt«mi.-trtuu.nJ*
j importunity to escape from the jaws of inline- I nno?
I dinte death. On Ik. in" carried to the siiip,
j was found accessary t*» nmputntc the h*2 almvc
I the joint. “ Shoitlv after,observed tho
j tain, 44 I a-ked him what were his let
| when ho was in the whale’s mouth. “ Why/
j said he, “ I thought he mi^ht furnish sixty bar*
s of pretty "ood oil.*’
Athens, IIov. % 1828.
The Exhibition of the Senior Class of Franklin Col
lege v\JI take place this day commencing ut nine o'clock,
in the College Chape 1, where the citizens and strangers
are invited to attend. Alter the examination u vacation
will tab- place uatil after (Jr- Christmas holidays.
—<SHt> -
In a pamphlet recently thrown upon the- pr.bli*, writ
ten by I). . Jam* s Tinsl* y «'f thi** plat***, the t ditor of this
paper find-* liiniH* If unexpectedly impeach**! iu a manner |
wiiich require.** from lum n passing i*•mark. I ru-»n- j
reiotiH of having, in the discharge of hi * trust, w fi h !«1
finni this individual, as one of the body polite*, tie pri
vilege of a fair and irngaitiu! Iir :i;ing in t!ie r .nt ov rsy
pending the late election, ho regards this ail gation in
*lisguis**, as unauthorized by. a sing! fact connected
with the writer'll negneiation for ftr- publication * f “ Sa
gittarius,” a piece, of which Dr. Thud* y lias Fiuee avow
ed himself the author.—The following is«tlic paragraph
referred to;
‘ In the first place, he, [the writer, of “ A Voter” to
which “ Sagittarius” way a reply,] complains that the
publication of Sagittarius was designedly delayed to
a very late hour, ‘ lent it would and could be success*
! fully answered.’ To this I reply, that two regular num*
* of the Athenian were issued from the press, h°-
——- ; tween the t»**nod *>f my first application to answer “ A
“ Alissistippi (jUards»”~~The traveller Iind Voter” nn*1 that ofthe election, and it the printe r insi-
hi*toriaii, an far as I am mfotmud, have passed
Miscellaneous Extracts.
nuates it to have hoeti my fault that it was not published
fiooner, I will undertake to prove to tin* contrary.”
The reader will at once perceive, that we stand c.har-
bv unnoticed, oti« of tliu most useful of all the j
vaiious tribes of insects—The Mississippi , . ....
Guards. In Mississippi, and the Stales ,V Bed hy Port. T.nsb-y with having pert.nac.ously rcj-ct
the same parallel, there are large tracts of
country which abound with *ucii numerous
«d tli«* admission of Sagittarius, vindicating the pr**ten-
' sinus of Mr. Thomas, its candidate f *r Senator, from our
a- it i . ; columns ; in proof of which, the writer states, that two
Swanns o flics commonly known by the name | , ur Alhcnilln wrw ia8llM | from Uie
°i """ o| »»'dd be j ess h ,, twi ,,. n r „„ [ | uf hiH , irst api) ii catiorl a „.
Coinp.-lh.fi entirely n. dcscil III Mr pasture L wcr ,. A Vo ter” ln RU1 , |K)rt „ fMr . and thttt 0 f, hl .
K rt,u "d' '*«■*'•«■ "el lor the kind protection, ( .| ( . rlion- W c ad . n ii t |, c fact, but dispute (lie inference,
they receive irom liio Mississippi 11 cards.. t > l ;|,U l . a tiu 11 miclit have succeeded publication, to un
11.0 Guards inbanil the dues! and botlesl sand iudriinitc period, sud vet Sueitta 1 ius have never
kiiculs. I hey live on the various species ol benmed u|mii the world, so lung as the manuscript was
flats which illtest llte stock. ihey resemble rtinini'd in the author’s bauds. When we refuse u viu-
very much the yellow jacket, luitlt lit size and dicationto the conduct, and eliaracter, private or public,
appearance; there tire, however, larger and of any individual assailed tlirouoh our instruineiitali'y,
smaller guards, ndaptej to the ditferetil kind of the sticnpth ofthe motive fur such refusal, will recon-
flies oil which they prey. The earth for some j vile us to the imputation; until then, we shall exonerate
distance around the sand hill tliut constitutes i ourselves from unjust and unmerited censure. Tim
tlioir barracks, is trodden lirmly by the uei^li-1 Wends of Mr. Thomas, we fearlessly assert, were never
boring Cattle forming wlial the herdsman j denied a bearing through the medium of this paper. Our
culls a slump. Hither the cattle repair with ' P rf »''nt purpose is answered by stating, that the nppli-
wi',1 and headlong fury, whenever they are bo-1 01,1,011 fin al1 admission of Sagittarius mto the tirstimiu-
Set beyond further endurance with the largo her alluded to, was under circumstances which rendered
horse (lies and other tribes of insects tliut ill- " Compliance positively impracticable; and that to tlm
infest the pasture around.—At tile sound of wr 'tcr's own neglect,whether unintentional or designed
li.i ir approach, the gourds turn out of their Wl n<> * !' rt ' sl,,m ' to say, was its non-appearance
: T terraneous harrucks nod nnrade over their 11,1 '* lc Sl ' uul| d atl'ibutuble; not to a refusal on our part,
t.tnid lull, moving to and fro, reaembling ^ inf-'fo-d, to give it publication. When the
SU arms of bees. .So soon as the infuriated B T" dH ofacc " so "°" a P“ ll,st ,ls ar, ‘ ‘.vi-l.eitty sta-
hero ol entile arrive, they arrange themselves V* ‘ ,i " c i ,reua ““ l,,W!a ‘“'■“''"B “will bo as explicitly
developed.
i!.« atW’a.4»hgfon Cityh&vtf*
portion of the public debt
will he paid ofTin a short time, arid tlm other affiliated
presses, an in dntv h.-mrid, r*-**< ho the strain, with loud
• plaudits on the.economical adininistrationofthe financoH,
! Now, what in the nane <»f common honesty has Messrs,
j Adams and Clay to do with paying offthe national debt,
i further than as mere executive officers of Congress ? To
j h«*ar these blusterers a no would suppos**, that the ad-
mini-'tnifion made all tV and voluntarily subject
ed themselves to oil the rigid economy inferred upon
them by the wisrl.v*: of Congress. Heaven f irefend. had
they the free n«e cf the public treasure. It would fly
like chaff*before the wind. We have had a f;W sp»*ci*
mens in a •anal! wav of their economy—and straws show
which way the wind blows. Ittrr—Bilha d Table, fte
Kun Jrrd dollars. lUm— Indian rhoeddarking some seven
hundred and odd loHan—fiU “ with an eve to the strict
est economy.” Economy with a vengeance ! No, if we
are indebted to any cause besides the smiles of Heaven
in the unbuinded increase and prosperity of *>ur country,
it is to the wisdom of Congress in compelling the ad
ministration to keep with ** the limits of moderation.
Forty millions, it is said, have been paid off* during the
present administration. It may be ho. What th«n t
Out of these forty millions, Mr. Adams and his Secreta-y
have not had discretionary pow’er over four—pecans not
one million. Out upon such subterfuges to bolster up a
rotten coalition, and a sinking cause.
—<$*> -
It will he recollected hv most of our readers that an
ap;>i*npnat»r,n was mad** at tin* last session of Congress,
tor the purpose of building and fitting out a discovery
ship for the ant-arctic seas This vessel is now on the
stock K and nearly ready to launch at Brooklyn, opposite
the city of N(.w York. Her length is one hundred and
eighteen feet. The frame is very stronfr, arid of f’-e
b"nt seasoned live-oak. H«r timbers are entirely solid,
n k1 every precaution haft been taken to make her as
f„-n as timbers and bolt* cat! make her. Sh- will he
lightly arm* d with twelve gunw, and will !>•* commanded
t;,y l.ieut. A. B. Pirkham, ofU. S. navy. Mr. Keymdds,
who will sail in this ves.sd, has ree-ntly been delivering
lectures in New York, to crowded audiences, the
utility of this experiment. His suhj cts are Fir.it, the
whiik fisli.-ry, which he estimates fuMiish. s annually to
thi‘* country alone 135,000 barrels of Oil, and 837 to-
sperm tallow. Second, the Sea Oil *r trade. Thir‘., tl:
Sandal Wood trade. Ft art k, th»» fir Seal-skin trade.
Fifth, the; ivory Sea-eDphant tooth trnd*'. Sixth, the
land animal Fur trade. Seventh, the feat’.ier trad *.—-In
the Southern pol -r regions, there are a million and n
half of square miles entirely unknown. A coast extends
more than 300 d* gr*» , *si , i which tlr.* Antarctic circle ha*
never been u; jnoacbed, ami there are immense regions
within latitude comparatively temperate, which a.e
but p irtially k:i inn. From these fucis it will be seen
that tliii? expedition is closely connected with t!i * inte
rest «*f our country, w hile it cannot but udd to its glory
and fame.
-<££>-
Jl nerican Bible Society.—-It appears by a statement in
the New York Observer, that this institution has now in
op' ration 20 hand pi* sscs, arid i .-if' utn fmwci press**,
all of which are equal to 28 of the usual kind ; 4 other
steam presses an* to be added in the course oftlu* ensu
ing month, which will make tin* whole number equal to
40 such as is commonly used. In the piinting d- pay
ment, 50 women are actively employed ; and iu the bin
dery, 40 men and 03 women; making a total «.f )7-’.
The expense of paper per fortnight is $1300 ; p lull,
$000 ; bindery, $2200—total $1000. Tie* uec* «w.i y
expenses of nanaging ho extensive A concern, iuc* 'ih
the amount to a sum not h ss than $10,000 per inonin.
As soon as the new building is completed, tin* walls of
which are already up, I stories high by -10 feet square,
the expense! will ty* increased by the addition of new
presses, &c. to 12,000 per month.
md the sum) hi!), mid become almost ns
rt.it as statues, though literally covered with
Hies, which arc drawing blood from almost
every pore, not n cow is seen even to switch
her lad. At (his moment the guards sally
forth.on the flies which cover (lie cattle. Kuch
tjuard seizes a fly, clips oft’ his wings in the
hrst place, jerks out the proboscis, though bu-
red in the skin ofthe beasts, and hears oflfthe
flv, a struggling wingless prisoner, to the sand i.
liTh, and there scratches a hole in the sand, I !*’ ", ‘T 01 * U * VR lt9 ‘ W l ‘ c l
—<85>-
A small fly, which first made its appearance in Louis
iana, and is gradually extending to the north, having
now got into the states of Mississippi and Alabama, has
become a scourg-* of no small magnitude to the planters
of those states, and we fear may, in its progress, bo ere
long at our own doors. Its size is between the large
green and the common house fly; its colour brown. The
Hinallc9t wound or sore on cattle is sufficient to attract
a short time are
lira/ the criminal, and by means ..fa peculiar ha,chrdint0 Th «« JirecUyinto the ani-
.shuffle of the bind feet, covers tip the bole ns' " ml ’ “ nd . ln “ ,,,w ^ dt, ‘7 Catll, ‘- hop "’ ahc< ''’-
he dccends, mid in un instant, the guard
mounts up through the sand in a different place,
leaving the poor fly. buried alive. He again
proceeds to the cuttle in quest of another. In
a short time, not a fly of any description can
bo seen. The cattle, under the vigilant pro
tection of their guards, at length lie dow n and
chew the cud in peace. A gentleman who has
a largo stock of horses and cattle has been so
fortunate as to have his pound selected by a
company of guards for their place of abode,
lie is never under the necessity of having his
cat tie or horses driven tip to the pound, they al
ways come of their own accord, to rid them*
delves of the large horse flies with which the
whole vicinity abounds. The guards are al
ways found at their post, ready to seize the
blood-thirsty tormentors of the cattle, and to
inflict on them a punishment, the same with
that which Xiinm Pompilius first instituted for
the vestal Virgins who should breuk ther vow.
—Galaxy
The Tar and the tVhale.—The following
cwrious anecdote, told tne by the captain of
;i whale ship which was at Valparaiso, shows
us of what unshaken fortitude the hardy sons
of Xoptune tire possessed, and what iiftliffer-
cnee they evince under the greatest misfortune
“ One morning,” says lie, “ as we were
cruizing about in search of whales, we espied a
fine looking one, and at no great distance
from us. We immediately manned four boats,
and soon came up with this monster of the
deep, which proved to be a whale of a sperm
kind. We nttackod him, and in return for the
death wound which wo inflicted, he, as it is
frequently the case with these ferocious nni-
mnUi, stovo one of the bouts. In the confu
sion which ensued, one poor fellow unluckily
came within reach of the whale, who although
in the agonies of death, made a shift to draw
one of his tegs into his mouth. The thigh was
pierced by one of the tusks, and consequently
broken* Luckily for the sailor, however, the
dogs, and even men, have fallen victims to their dr strife
live influence. Men whoso noses were subject to bleed
ing have been attacked and bereft of life. Even where
n tick han been mashed, the animal's life has been des
troyed. Much valuable stork has already been, killed in
the states above mentioned, and the evil still exists and
is extending. In the county of Butler, Alabama, two
men had been fighting and got considerably scratched ;
the fly immediately attacked them, and both became
victims to their destructive powers. No remedy has yet
been discovered ; spirits of Turpentine poured into the
wound us soon a* the fly has deposited its eggs, is con
sidered the most effectual.
Yesterday, to-day and to-morrow^ being the 3d, 4th
and 5th, most ofthe Elections of the several stall's for
F.W'Ctors of President and 3 ice President of the l T nitod
States, take place, and in the following manner, viz :
In New-York and Maine by districts, and in New Hamp
shire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia.
Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri,
by general ticket. The F.lections of Pennsylvania and
Ohio took place on the 31st ult. Those for Maryland,
and Alabama will be held on the 10th ; of Vermont on
the 1!th; North Carolina and Tennessee on tl: • 13th
and 14th, and Rhode Island on the 19th. We shall ther -
fore soon have information as to who is to take the Pr* •
sidential chair f >r the next four years. By the state and
Congressional elections, wc judge the prospect of the
election of Gen. Jackson is very fair. Ohio and Penn
sylvania an* decidedly fir him. New York is expected
to give him from twenty-four to thirty out of thirty-/\
votes,
Gen. W|M.UM IT. Harrison* has arrived at N.vv-York,
to ttnhark for La Guira, as minister to the republic of
Colombia.
—<S>—
On the morning of the 13th October, at Montreal,
Upper Canada, a most extraordinary darkness over
spread that city, without any apparent cause, and conti
nued nearly the whole div. The sky appeared of a dis
mal saffron hue, and the darkness so dense that candles
were lighted in the public offices and other places. To
ward evening it clean'd away, iuid the heavens assumed
their ciiud appeamr*.
—<££>—
Bolivia.—By the latest accounts it appears the revo
lutionists have triumphed in that quarter, and eRtablish-
cd a provisional government. Gen. Sucre, it is rumoured,
lias been assassinate*!. The object ofthe revolutionists
appears to be to form a coalition with Lower Peru, and
establish themselves as an independent government.
By the advertisement in another part of this paper it
will be Roen that Shaw 4* Edwards have just received a
larue collection of new music. We have made a *r-
lection ofthe two following Bongs, ns a specimen ofthe
collection. Ladies of taste will do well to call soon, as
but a few copies of each have been received.
LOVE HAS BEEN THERE.
Z.ovo has been there, those dark eyes speak
Of ead an i hopeless hours ;
On that young cheek
In vain wc seek,
The bloom of youthful flow’rs;
Tho* o'er thy form gay robes may flow,
Tho' gems adorn thy hair;
They hide not woe,
Too w’til we know
Love love has been there.
Can one so young, so fair and young,
Have lost the smiles of youth ?
Has falsehood sung
With artful tongue,
Too well dissemblin ' truth?
Have blissful thoughts allur’d thcc on
And faded when most fair?
Tho look—the tone
Of bliss is gone,
Love has been there.
I met thee first, one happy night
Willi him—who smil'd on thee;
Thy step was light
Those eves were bright,
And gay and kind was lie.
The youth is gone—he left behind
The step, the glance of care:
How changed I find
Thv form, thy mi nut
Love has been there.
They sav that men hate never died
Wiicn Love's first dream was lost;
That woman's prido
Can turn aside
The shaft that wounds her most;
That Love ne’er kills—it may be so
And death nray Hiun despair;
Bui tears will flow
And well we know,
Love has been there.
FALL NOT IN LOVE.
Kail not in love dear girls beware,
O, never fall in love .
Better lead Apes—you know where,
Than ever fall in love,
For ■non (heir end. to pain,
Are cruel when mo«t kind,
Their tears are false ns rain,
Their vows are only wind.
And if von s»v (hem no,
They swear their hearts are broke.
Yet when half dejd with wrne,
How nice and plump they look.
Fall not in love Hear nirls bew are
O, never fall in hu e,
Betler lead Apes—yoa know w here,
'Than ever lull in love.
Full not in love dear eirls, beware
O never fall in love,
Better lead Apes—you know w here,
Then ever fall in love:
For if 11 rake you wed,
For better and for worse,
When honey moons are fled
!>h how lie’ll squeeze your purse,
An I if you see' 1 all nijilit,
Quite easy hv the bv
Yoor husband grown polite,
Snores moat melodiously:
Fall not in love dear girls, beware,
O never fill in love,
Better lead Apes -you know where,
Than ever fall in love.
We are indebted to Mr. John Burton for n
At it: .specimen of llie .Sonar Oitno from the
plantation of Mr. ('. Stokes of Lincoln coun
ty. Before it was mutilated be the hand of
carelessness, it presented a beautiful evidence
ofthe adoption of our soil and climate to tilts
production. Originally it had 16 joints, in
their external appearance, perfectly mature.
It is ofthe llibhon-kind.and appears to he fully
as saccharine, as some of its neighbours, who
were raised in the warmer soil and air of
Richmond and Burke. Its joints are however,
shorter than any of the specimens which we
have seen, owing probably to its harin'! been
cultivated on land that is described as “ hioli,
dry and quite poor.” We have now four spe
cimens of the Cane front different plantations,
which have been examined hy persons accus
tomed tojudiieof such matters, and who de
clare (heir full heliefthat the Cane can he cul
tivated to yrat profit in Carolina and Georgia.
It I., verv easily cultivated, and we are instruct
ed to sttv that any moderate quantity of Seed
Cane can lie had at the Ware-House of Messrs.
Heard & Cook. The apparatus fur inakintr
suu'ir is not expensive, Imt the whole process
perfectly simple and within the means and ca
pacily of the common farmer. We believe the
cultivation fill he extensive in Georgia even
next year, and ! f would he profitable for the
owners of small firms to cultivate enough this
emnin:! snonn to supply their morn wealthy
neigh! • i- • it'' -e-d. The earn* will he worth
two hm.:. i dollars per ucre. Who can make
that out i. : ■ ott.m ?
Since ivriln.u the above, we have received
two Stalks of < 'ane from the plantation of Col.
Aeuii-tus Jones ofScriven county, which ex-
• eed inv specimens of Cane. wltHi we have
i i-t seen. I'aeh has twenty joints. 17 of which
are mpureiiiiv mature. Col. Jones has about
ft acres of cane this year, and thinks that l,is
crop will averagp five feet of pure cane.—
While noticing this subject, we w mid take
the liberty nfsucr''f-ijng In those who intend to
marm actoro part of their cane into .Sugar, that
the process should he carefully managed bv
some experienced h md. lest a failure, from in-
c\p rience. mav d torn the ardor of enterprise,
o h eh seems to he urp'in:; many of our public
"■nirOed citizens forward in tills new and we
h i,o profit able cultivation. We are confident
mam joints in the cane anpe.ar externally to he
sufficiently mature, which it would he advisa
ble to leave out in the first attempts at manu-
lite'ni ine -near ; because, if not perfectly ripe,
it will ho difficult to granulate the sugar, and if
■jranulntinn does succeed, it will iu a short
time melt away into a soft mass. The portion
therefore, which is intended for stt"nr. in the
first experiments, should ho perfectly ripe—
the *ess ripe part mav lie manufactured af
terwards int r another article.—Gro. Cour.
One (Inti In'er from England.— \t a Into
hour last ni'.'ht wo received hv the ship Ogle
thorpe. Cnpl ’fpuhner, London papers of the
filh ntid Liverpool of the ffth Sept. They fur
nish nothing of importance from the seal of
war. The Russians were occupied in the
siege of the great fortresses of Shumla. Varan
and Silistrin. The Kmperor had left Odessa
In re-ioin the army at Shumla, nnd had ordered
the Grand Hake Constantino to prepare the
whole Polish armv, 9f\000 strong, for the
field. The Grand Vizier had left Constanti
nople, and it was reported that the Sultan had
ordered a levy ofSOO.Ono m»n. The warlike
preparations on both sides indicated a failure of
the negotiations supposed to have been com
menced at Odessn. A Russians 8eet was
threatening the Bosphorus.—Savannah Gcor.
Jachtnn ami Adams.—I.ike Cincinnatus,
the glory and the hnast of imperial Koine, An-
dtew Jackson, in times of public security and
pence, feeds his flock and follows his plough-,
hut. in the hour of his country’* peril, the light
ning of this patriot’s sword gleams, through the
darkness of the battle cloud, the terror of his
country’s foes. During our last war with
Great Britain, whilst Adams was far removed
from the theatre of danger, Jackson was toil
ing on the tented field to defend his bleeding
country. Whilst Adams was reposing on beds
of down at tho courts of kings, Jnekson w as
penetrating the Instnesses of the forest, the
seared leaves his pillow, end the blue arched
ennnpv of Heaven his only covering. Whilst
Adams was complaining of the weakness and
prnani of his country, nnd levying heavy
draughts upon her almost exhausted treasury.
Jackson was pledging his own private fortune,
to support her armies. And at this time,
whilst 'dams and his satellites are moving
forward all the engines of slander and calum
ny, In blast it" fair fame of General Jackson,
that “ good old patriot.” in the true spirit of
republicanism, is now living in dignified retire
ment at the Hermitage, a splendid pattern of
greatness without ostentation, of chanty with
out vaunting, a d of wisdom without vanity.
Fnirhj Done.—One of our merchants yes-
terdav morning sent n lad to the post office to
obtain letters; hut ns it happened, he presented
a had hill, a id was eomuelled to return fora
better. When he. npplied tor his letters a
n second time they were missing—a person
having railed for the leltprs in a certain num
ber, paid the onstage and disappeared. \s a
draft on one of tliu banks was expoutyd in one
of the letters, word was immediately scut tu
the bank; and within five minutes a draft of
$250 was presented, when.to the great amaze
ment of (he gentleman, they seized Inin hy tho
collar instead of counting otf the money, llo
is in safe keeping.—.V. V Journal of Com.
The Capitol.—This edifire, which lias been
building thirty-six years, though burnt and re
paired during that time.) begins to approach
completion. The hill it stands on, is formed
into terraces, supported hy massive arched
stone-work, faced with sod, and ascended hy
successive flights of steps. The approaches
are through six great portals, and the grounds
included within the urea will soon he entir. ly
levelled and planted. Seen at a distance from
the west, this large and gorgeous building of
a brilliant white, rising from the green lull, and
the young plantations of American forest trees
and shrubs, is, with all its faults, a very splen
did spectacle. The quantity of work in tho
substruction (so to speak) and iu tho approach
es of the building, is in itself very great and
costly. The sculpture of the tympanum of
the east portico, is not yet finished: the sculp
tor’s house is still perched, like the nest of
some great bird, among tho splendid capitals
of the columns. The design includes only
three human figures, with an eagle, so that the
effect wail not he lost and frittered awav to the
eye. by too minute a division of parts. Tim
huge frames for the remaining paintings w hit h
are to adorn the great rolundo under the dome,
are lying there, ready to he placed. The
sculptures ofthe same apartment are finished,
we believe. Several improvements have been
made in the edifice since our last visit. Wc
wish something could be done to' bring ths,
Itenvy dome more into accordance with tho
light portico beneath it, which it seems ready
to crush; am! fifty shapes might certainly lie
selected, handsomer than the lanterns which
now surmount the lesser domes ofthe wings.
Freestone has been u.-ed for some of (be
night of steps. Tins inuteri tl is too liable (d
be broken and worn: one more cosily in iho
first instance, would he much less so in iho
end.—Rail. American.
Singular mental Endowments.—A lad iu
Washington City, (Edw ard Ord, son of James
Old,) now in the 10;h year ofhis age, posses
ses the uncommon (acuity of making cal illa
tions and answering rliffi ult arithmetical ques
tions with the operations of his mind, without
the aid of figures. He has been repeatedly
examined, hy different persons, and Inis uni
formly excited the admiration and surprise of
those who havn witnessed the readiness and
correctness with which lie answers questions
that a(p proposed to him. On a recent occa
sion, happening to be in company with several
gentlemen who had heard of Ids possessing
this singular talent, for the purpose of exerci
sing it the following question was submitted to
him for solution:
If f give away 1-2 1-3 1-4 and 1-5 of a
bushel, what will l have left of two bushels
from which I made the distribution !
After a few moments lie answered correctly,
13-60llis of a bushel.
An arithmetician who was present when the.
question was submitted, undertook to solve it
by the use of figures, which ho effected, hut
not until after the answer had been given by
the boy.
For the purpose of bearing him converse,
which he does with considerable readiness foe
so young a hoy, lie was then asked—
If u pair of boots cost six dollars, what w ilt
a hat cost ?
He answered—d : ffercnt prices; and. in his
turn, submitted to the gentlemen with whom
tie was speaking, the following :
If a bushel of coal cost Ci cents, what will u
cord of tj'ood come to ?
The gentleman answered—I don’t know
It will come to ashes, said the boy.
The following, was then propounded to him .
If7-10thsofn yard ofniis:iimeret'ost$2 25,
what will 1 yard and 1-4 cost?
He answered, with his usual precision, 84
2 rents, and 12-2Sllis of a cent.
Ascent of Mr. Robertson.—Mr Robertson fl
nscet.l from Castle Garden, which had been
postponed two or three times on nccounl of
the weather, was effected yesterday in fine
stylo. The weather was uncommonly auspi
cious, being very mild and elear, and a gontlo
wind blowing towards the land. All the pre
parations succeeded as well as could he desir
ed. At 4 o’clock the balloon began to fill; at
five, the car was appended to it. and the young
lady (who. by the way, is said to be a wife,)
look her seal in it apparently without the least
excitement. At a quarter past five^the colds
were loosed, but the ballast was found too
heavy to allow it to rise, and it floated off to
the other side of the garden, and sunk to the
ground. It was restored to its former posi-
lion, a part of the ballast was discharged, and
the cords were again loosed, when it rose
gracefully above the battlements, and soared
awav over the heads of the immense crowd
assembled on the battery, accompanied with
the discharge of cannon, and the cheers of at
least ten thousand spectators.—Tho specta
tors were highly delighted, pronouncing it the
most elegant ascension they had ever witness
ed. As for thp Indians, it is impossible to
tell what they thought of it, but we never saw
the wild Indian come quite so near expressing
surprize in his .countenance on any Conner oc
casion. In nhout 15 minutes the ear and tho
waving flags dwindled to a speck, nnd finally
disappeared. The balloon, however, was-till
visible, and continued to be till it had descend
ed so far as to he out of sight. Mr. Robert
son affected his descent nt forlacr s Hook,
onlv about three miles from Castle G,»rden;
but he landed so near the river that the wind
drew the car info the water. It was found ne
cessary, we are informed, to let off the gas,
before’they could regain the shore, which was
done by the aid of a boat near hy.—Of eour.-e,
Mr. R. was unable to return, as he had propc-