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which has already many virtues. Take one
o-rain of this, and triturate it again for anoth
er hour, with 100 grains of sugar of milk,
and thus continue till each grain of the pre
paration shall contain only a quadrillionth
part of a grain of gold, and we have then
(says Hahnemann) a remedy in which the
medicinal virtue of the gold is so developed,
that it is only necessary to take one grain of
it. and enclose it in a bottle, and cause it to
he respired for a few minutes by a melan
cholic, in whom the disgust of life has pro
duced a tendency to suicide, and in the course
of an hour the patient will be emancipated
from the influence of his evil spirit, and ex
perience a renewed desire for living. You
know, Colonel, many a poor fellow has shuf
fled off the mortal coil for the want of “ lucre,”
but do you suppose the application of the fra
grant dust to the olfactories would stay the
suicide's hand 1 We doubt it. You remem
ber what Chaucer says,
“ For gold in physic is a cordial.
Therefore ho loved gold in special.”
More anon.
Yours faithfully,
In the bonds of physic,
BAYARD-.
Con. N. J. B .
somc (Homsponfrcncc.
For the Southern Literary Gazette.
NEW-YORK LETTERS-NO. 20.
Troy, New-York, )
September 14, 1848. j
My Dear Sir: —From my address this week,
you will perceive that I have bidden farewell
to Lake George and have made no inconsid
erable approach to the Metropolis. lam not
vet, however, quite within “thesound ofßow
bells,” and I cherish the hope of being spar
ed their sweet jingle for some pleasant weeks
yet to come.
My journey hither, was via Horicon toTi
conderoga, whither I led you in my last mis
sive, and thence by the Lake Champlain steam
er to Whitehall, and by the Champlain Canal
to this beautiful city.
Os the Lake Champlain stage I shall say’
nothing, since it was quite barren of incident ;
and as it would be hardly fair to form an
estimate of the natural attractions of that
superb stretch of waters, from the very
small and comparatively uninteresting portion
through which my route lay ; the voyage not
exceeding thirty miles, in a very narrow and
shallow part of a lake, which elsewhere wi
dens to an extent of not less than ten miles.
Whitehall, at the foot of Lake Champlain,
is on the high road from New York and the
Eastern cities, to Canada. It derives its trade
and importance from this eligible position,
otherwise is it a place of no interest, built as
it is, low and upon barren locks. It is 73
miles from Albany, with which city it is con
nected by the Champlain Canal. Steamers
depart thence daily and nightly for St. Johns
at the head of the lake, from w-hich poinl, af
ter a short rail-way ride and a pleasant voy
age on the St. Lawrence, the tourist reaches
Montreal. At some periods of the season the
competition on this line of travel runs so high,
that one may pass from New York to Cana
da for the merest trifle: the rates not exceed
ing twenty r -five cents between New York and
Albany; twelve and a half cents thence by
canal to Whitehall: twenty cents more for
the passage of the lake, to St. Johns; and
one dollar from the latter place—at w hich
point the opposition ends—to Montreal: mak
ing in all only $1,62 1-2 fare for the entire
distance of 398 miles; or, stopping at St.
Johns, only 62 1-2 cents, for a distance of 374
miles! Vive “opposition to the combined
monopolies !” and furthermore, may it “ vive”
next time, when I myself happen to pass a
long, which unluckily, was not the case last
week.
That we might view- the scenery on our
S©3) If Sa S3 & OtF& ft AIE ¥ 8A S S IT‘ff S *
passage down the canal, w-e rested during the
night at Whitehall, resuming our journey by
the packet of the next morning. The weath
er was admirably suited to our purpose ; the
air cool, and the sky full of huge masses
of quickly moving cloud, which pleasantly
heightened and varied the beauty of the land
scape, thus alternately displayed in
“ Shadow dark and sun-light sheen.’
Though Nature appeared to us less beauti
ful here, than in the vicinities we had but just
left, yet now and then the eye w r as delighted
by a sweet rural composition of meadow’ lands
and mountain distance, and every where was
detected abundant material for a painter’s
study—now a beautiful bit of running brook
or quiet lake gleaming in the sun-light; an
isolated group of trees on the green lawn,
sheltering a herd of grazing cattle; a fantas
tic mass of rich foliage overhanging the stream
and toying with its waters; a “ brave old
oak a luxuriant elm, a stray pine, or a bit
of mossy rock. At Cohoes Falls, near the
end of the voyage, the Mohawk River pre
sented a very interesting appearance. It is
here that the Erie and Champlain Canals u
nite; the former having within a short dis
tance, no less than seventeen locks. Still
water, a pretty village on the route, is one of
the most antique places in the state. On Re
mus’ Heights, at this point, Burgoyne was de
feated by General Gates in 1777 after a des
-1 perate conflict. Forts Miller and Edward al
so on the Canal, boast each its historical rem
iniscences.
Our boat being well tilled with passengers
of all sorts, and a recent • break’ in the canal
having greatly lowered the water, of course
we enjoyed our full share of the proverbial
discomfort of this manner of travel; not ex
cepting that terrible bore the 4 bridges.’ Ap
ropos des ponts —w-hat an excessive nuisance
they are to be sure, and how unnecessarily
so; always elevated or rather depressed, as
if with exact reference to the inconvenience
of the traveller and the endangering of his
noddle. Why can they not be built a little,
only a very little higher, and canals be there
by relieved of their greatest horror *? Pass
ing beneath one of the lowest of the low- of
these spiteful creatures, my friend G. thought
it the most stooped, bridge he had ever encoun
tered ! How excessively amusing it is to see
pigmy ladies, crouching to the deck, w-hen
standing upon tip-toe they can have no earth
ly hope of their heads ever reaching the bridge!
The sudden approach of a show-er having at
one period of the day, crowded all our pas
sengers into the cabin, the usual cry of ‘bridge!’
w-as followed from mere force of habit, by a
general bobbing down of heads! As our trip
approached its close, the break to which I
have referred, caused us more and more trou
ble, insomuch that we were quite uncertain
that we should be able to reach our destina
tion by water. We passed boat after boat
dead aground, and the water being insufficient
for the working of the helm, we were guided
solely by poles. In this dilemma, a venera
ble lady became extremely alarmed, made con
stant inquiries touching present and coming
danger, and seemed apprehensive of the ves
sel’s being w-recked, and the crew and passen
gers miserably perishing in the —mud ! As
the Ettrick Sheppard would have observed,
“O! but ’twas fearsome!” our precarious po
sition amidst the horrors of the “ raging ca
nawl.” At length the matron aforesaid, retir
ed below, calmly to await the worst, and die
if needs be, with Christian resignation and
fortitude—noble woman I —while others of
our luckless number incapable of this heroic
self-command, stepped ashore and took a—
walk.
FLIT.
AN ODD GRACE.
Os rabbits young, of rabbits old,
Os rabbits hot, of rabbits cold.
Os rabbits tender, of rabbits tough.
I thank the Lord Ive had enough.
©limj)of3 of Ncuj Books.
—■ -
THE MIRAGE, AND OTHER PHE
NOMENA.
The mirage, a beautiful phenomenon I have
frequently mentioned as exhibiting itself up
on our journey, here displayed its wonderful
illusions, in a perfection and with a magnifi
cence surpassing any presentation of the kind
I had previously seen. Lakes, dotted with
islands and bordered by groves of gently
waving timber, whose tranquil and limpid
waves reflected their sloping banks and the
shady islets in their bosoms, la> spread out
before us, inviting us, by their illusory temp
tations, to stray from our path and enjoy their
cooling shades and refreshing waters. These
fading away as we advanced, beautiful villas,
adorned with edifices, decorated with all the
ornaments of sub-urban architecture, and sur
rounded by gardens, shaded walks, parks and
stately avenues, would succeed them, renew
ing the alluring invitation to repose, by en
ticing the vision with more than Calypsan
enjoyments or Elysian pleasures. These
melting from our view as those before, in an
other place a vast city, with countless col
umned edifices of marble whiteness, and
studded with domes, spires and turreted tow
ers, would rise upon the horizon of the plain,
astonishing us with its stupendous grandeur
and sublime magnificence. But it is in vain
to attempt a description of these singular and
extraordinary phenomena. Neither prose nor
poetry, nor the pencil of the artist, can ade
quately portray their beauties. The whole
distant view around, at this point, seemed like
the creations of a sublime and gorgeous
dream, or the effect of enchantment. I ob
served that where these appearances were
presented in their most varied forms, and with
the most vivid distinctness, the surface of the
plain was broken, either by chasms hollowed
out from the action of the winds, or by undu
lations formed of the drifting sands.
About eleven o’clock, we struck a vast
white plain, uniformly level, and utterly des
titute of vegetation or any sign that shrub or
plant had ever existed above its snow-iike
surface. Pausing a few moments to rest our
mules, and moisten our mouths and throats
from the scant supply of beverage in our
powder-keg, we entered upon this appalling
field of sullen and hoary desolation. It was
a scene so entirely new to us, so frightfully
forbidding and unearthly in its aspects, that
all of us, I believe, though impressed with
its sublimity, felt a slight shudder of appre
hension. Our mules seemed to sympathize
with us in the pervading sentiment, and moved
forward with reluctance, several of them
stubbornly setting their faces for a counter
march.
For fifteen miles, the surface of this plain
is so compact, that the feet of our animals, as
we hurried them along over it, left but little,
if any, impression for the guidance of the
future traveller. It is covered with a hard
crust of saline and alkaline substances com
bined, from one-fourth to one-half of an inch
in thickness, beneath which is a stratum of
damp whitish sand and clay intermingled.
Small fragments of white shelly ro<*k, or an
inch and a half in thickness, which appear
ns if they once composed a crust, but had
been broken by the action of the atmosphere
or the pressure of water rising from beneath,
are strewn over the entire plain, and imbedded
in the salt and sand.
As we moved onward, a member of our
party in the rear called our attention to a gi
gantic moving object on our left, at an appa
rent distance of six or eight miles. It isvery
difficult to determine distances accurately on
these plains. Your estimate is based upon
the probable dimensions of the object, and
unless you know what the object is, and its
probable size, you are liable to great decep
tion. The atmosphere seems frequently to
act as a magnifier; so much so, that I have
often seen a raven perched upon a low shrub
or an undulation of the plain, answering to
the outlines of a man on horseback. But
this object was so enormously large, consid
ering its apparent distance, and its movement
forward, parallel with ours, so distinct, that
it greatly excited cur wonder and curiosity.
Many and various were the conjectures (se-’
rious and facetious) of the party, as to what
it might he, or portend. Some thought it
might be Mr. Hudspeth, who had concluded
to follow us; others that it was some cyclo
pean nondescript animal, lost upon the desert;
others that it was the ghost of a mammoth
or Megatherium wandering on “this rendez
vous of death others that it was the d—l
mounted on an This, &c. It was the general
conclusion, however, that no animal compos
ed of flesh and blood, or even a healthy ghost,
could here inhabit. A partner of equal size
soon joined it, and for an hour or more they
moved along as before, parallel to us, when
they disappeared, apparently behind the
horizon.
As we proceeded, the plain gradually be
came softer, and our mules sometimes sunk to
their knees in the stiff’ composition of salt,
sand and clay. The travelling at length be
came so difficult and fatiguing to our animals
that several of the party dismounted, (myself
among the number,) and we consequently
slackened our hitherto brisk pace into a walk.
About two o’clock, p. m., we discovered
through the smoky vapor the dim outlines of
the mountains in front of us, at the foot oi
which was to terminate our day’s march, if
we were so fortunate as to reach it. But still
we were a long and weary distance from it,
and from the “grass and water” which we
expected there to find. A cloud rose from the
south soon afterwards, accompanied by seve
ral distant peals of thunder, and a furious
wind, rushing across the plain and filling the
whole atmosphere around us with the fine
particles of salt, and drifting it in heaps like
the newly fallen snow. Our eyes became
nearly blinded, and our throats choked with
the saline matter, and the very air we breathed
tasted of salt.
During the subsidence of this tempest, there
appeared upon the plain one of the most ex
traordinary phenomena, I dare to assert, ever
witnessed. As I have before stated, 1 had
dismounted from my mule, and turning it in
with the cabnllada , was walking several rods
in front of the party, in order to lead in a di
rect course to the point of our destination.
Diagonally in front, to the right, our course
being west, there appeared the figures of a
number of men and horses, some fifteen or
twenty. Some of these figures were mount
ed and others dismounted, and appeared to be
marching on foot. Thei r faces and the heads
of the horses were turned towards us, and at
first they appeared as if they were rushing
down upon us. Their apparent distance,
judging from the horizon, w-as from three
to five miles. But their size was not cor
respondent, for they seemed nearly as large
as our own bodies, and consequently were
of gigantic stature. At this first view 1
supposed them to he a small party of In
dians (probably the Utahs) marching from the
opposite side of the plain. But this seemed
to me scarcely probable, as no hunting or
war party would he likely to take this route.
I called to some of our party nearest to me
to hasten forward, as there were men in front,
coming towards us. Very soon the fifteen or
twenty figures were multiplied into three or
four hundred, and appeared to be marching
forward with the greatest action and speed.
I then conjectured that they might be Capt
Fremont and his party, with others, from
California, returning to the United States by
this route, although they seemed to be too
numerous even for this. I spoke Jo Brown,
who was nearest to me, and asked him if he
noticed the figures of men and horses in front 7
He answered that he did, and that he had ob
served the same appearances several times
previously, hut that they had disappeared,
and he believed them to be optical illusions
similar to the mirage. It was then, for the
first time, so perfect was the deception, that I
conjectured the probable fact that these fi
gures were the reflection of our own images
by the atmosphere, filled as it was with fine
particles of crystalized matter, or by the dis
tant horizon, covered by the same substance.
This induced a more minute observation of
the phenomenon, in order to detect the deeei>-
tion, if such it were. I noticed a single fi
gure, apparently in front in advance of al!
the others, and was struck with its likeness
to myself. Its motions, too, I thought, were
the same as mine. To test the hypothesis
above suggested, I wheeled suddenly around,
at the same time stretching my arms out to
their full length, and turning my face Bidr
wise to notice the movements of this figure.
If went through precisely the same motions.
I then marched deliberately and with long
strides several paces; the figure did the samr.
To test it more thoroughly, I repeated the ex
periment, and with the same result. The fact
then was clear. But it was more fully veri
fied still, for the whole array of this numer
ous shadowy host in the course of an hour
melted entirely away, and was no more seen.
The phenomenon, however, explained and
gave the history of the gigantic spectres
which appeared and disappeared so myste
riously at an earlier hour of the day. The
figures were our own shadows, produce 1 and
reproduced by the mirror-like composition im
pregnating the atmosphere and covering the
plain. I cannot here more particularly ex
plain or refer to the subject. But this phan
tom population, springing out of the ground
as it were, and arraying itself before us as
we traversed this dreary and heaven-con
demned waste, although we were entirely
155