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Edited by THOMAS 91 IYNESL VOLUME VI.—NUMBER 25. THE STANDARD OF UNION, BY P. 1,. ROBIXSON, rvni.isntn (by authority) or the laws or the united states. KFTERMS.—TItrre Dollars pf» annum. No subscription taken for Issa than a year, and no paper discontinued, but nt the option of the publisher, until all arrearages nro paid. CHANGE OF DIRECTION.—We desire such of our subscribers as mar at any ime wish the direction of their papers chanced from one Post Office to another, to inform us. in nil eases, of the place to which they had been previously sent ; as the mere order to forward them to a diffi'reut office, places it almost out of our power to comply, because wc have no means of ascertaining the office from which thny aie m dored to lie changed, but by a search through our whole subscription book, containing several thousand names. Al»\ F.RTISEMF.NTS inserted at the usual rates. Sales of I.AND, by Administrators. Executors, or Guardians, are required by law tube held on the first Tuesday in the month, between the hours of ten in the forenoon ami three in the afternoon, at the < onrt House in the coun ty in which the property is situate. Noti c of h-e sales must bo gi ven in a public gazette SIXTY DAYS previous to the day of sale. Sales al NEGROES must be nt public auction, on the first Tuesday •flbc month between the usual hours.of sale, nt the place of public tales in the county where the letters tcstimentnry.of Administration or Guardianship, may hava been granted, first giving SIXTY DAYS no tice thereof, in one of the public gazettes of this State, and at the doo of the Court House where such sales nrc to be hold. Notice tor the sale of Personal Property must be given in like man ner, FORTYDAYS previous to the day of sale. Notice to the Debtors and Creditors of an Estate must be published FORTY DAYS. Notice that application will be made to the Court of Ordinary so leave to soil LAND, must be published for FOt It MON I HS. Notice for leave to sell NEGROES, mast be published for FOUR MONTHS before any order absolute shall bo made by the Court thereon. Notice ol Application for Letters of Administration must bepublish «d THIRTY.DAY*. Notice of Application for Letters of Dismission from the Administra tion of an Estate, are required to be published monthly for SIX MONTHS. MILTsIXERY AND MASTVA-MAKING. MRS. LOUISA O'BRIEN, RESPECTFULLY informs the Ladies of Milledgeville and its vicinity, that she has lately received from Charles ton. a fine assortment of BOAWETS, of her own selection among which are LADIES, MISSES AND CHILDREN’S BONNETS, OF THE LATEST STYLE. Some beautiful Drawer! Bonnets, of a new and late style. Also,the Latest fashion for CAPSand HEAD-DRESSES, and the Latest Eashions for LADIES' DRESSES—Arti ficial Flowers of various kinds. Her Bonnets will be sold fiom one dollar and fifty cents, to two, three, even and twelve dollars. Bonnets and Dresses made to eider .ft the shortest notice, and of the best materials, very cheap for cash. Also, on hand some splendid Feulhere lor Bonnets. Milledgeville. April liiih, 1839. I~—tf For Sale. THE Pond Town settlement of land comprising 1620 acres, about 400 cleared and in good order for farming, attached is a comfortable dwelling, gin-house, and other ne cessary out buildings. The lands all lie adjoining, a part in Sumter and the balance in Marion county. A great batgain will be given for cash or on a shoit ciedit. Information can ■be had relative to its value by reference to Col. I homos Bivins of Marion, or Capt.Jno. B. Coleman of Stimter. Ap plv to the subscriber. LaGrange. -Geo. L. A. BOND. June 5. 1839 20— taw.Sni GAINESVIUE FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL. G. BEAUMONT, A. M. of Cambridge University, Great Britain, Principal. THIS Establishment, for which a spacious Building, Botanical Garden, ami extensive grounds arc in the course of active preparation, will he opened lor the education of Young Ladies in the follow ing branches ol polite learning: The Modern Languages; French. Italian, Spanish, ami German ; the Belles Lettrcs. Music, Drawing. Elocution, the Mathematics, Experimental ami Moral Philosophy, Botany and Geology ; ns well as the usual studies of the Primary Departments. The mode of instruction in nil branches, will be pursued on philosophical principles calculated to save the time and increase the interest of the student. The ground work of this system is a laborious analysis of the studies themselves, resulting in the compilation of entirely new elementary books, by tin Principal of this Seminary; while the physical sciences will be taught entirely by Lectures, explanatory of facts exhihiled by the Philosophical Apparatus. ' The dcvelopeinent of all the functionsof mind and body, . that are calculated for the permanent, advantage of the Pupils, will he the care of the Principal and his fellow teachers. The discipline will lie on principles of preserving the self respect of Pupil and Instructor. The advancement of the Pupil will be secured by a weekly rectifying of the classes upon exami nation and review. The charges arc (see advertisement. Dec. 1838,) respect ively, $24 00 Primary Department; $45 00 Second ; SBO 00 Senior. No extra charge for any of the above named or any branch of study taught in this Seminary, except for Music, for which arrangements arc in forwardness with an eminent teacher; but in the mean time, the use of the Piano, with competent instruction, free of charge, will he allowed to students who have partly acquired that accomplishment. Term, 10 months; commence January Ist, 1839. Board at slOper mouth and under, is secured for Pupils nt. a respectable citizen's, under the superintendence of one of the Teachers. Mr. G. BEAUMONT, who is an English Barrister, mid the nurhorof several apptoved works on Law, the Belles Lot tres. and Education, having selected Gainesville as a location for his family, recommends to others, that which decitied him in this selection ; the undoubted salubrity of this district, the residence there of the most eminent members of the Medical Faculty, the quiet manners of the neighborhood, and the well supplied markets. _JanJJ2. 1839. - r '~— lf . TROY HILL.—The undersigned informs his friends and those of the late firm of Cutler fy Cornwell, that he intends resuming the Warehouse and Commision Busi ness at the store above the one recently occupied by T.J.Chace, on the margin of East Macon, known as the townof Troy. He further informs the public that he has bought his Goods, Ac., and having now on the way, from New York and other places, Dry Goods and Groceries, to gether making his stock complete, which will be sold low for ready pay, he will be ready to receive Cotton early in the fall, and be prepared to make advances. lie would par ticuiarly notice to his friends the great advantages his Ware houses qave over those in the dense part of the city with re gard to fi re, they being detached from other buildings, and at a distance from any street or lane and well on-closed. „ _ 11. 8. CUTTER. 05* 1 he Macon Messenger and Telegraph, Milledgeville Journal and Standard of I nion, will publish the above until further notice.— Georgian. HL subscriber having commenced business in the Re- Ji reiving and Forwarding Goods and Merchandize to and from Augusta, per the Georgia Railroad, begs leave to acquaint his friends and the public that all goods consigned, or orders addressed to him, shall meet with strict attention, and bo forwarded to their destination with the utmost prompt itude. ELIPIIAET LAI.E. Warrenton, June 5, 1838. 20 ts "g REAMS of first rate MEDIUM PRINTING JL Xr PAPER, for sale at the “ Standard” oilier. June 25, 1839. 22 ts Statißarfe of Union* POETRY. WHAT I WOULD HAVE. Give mo old music—let mo hear The strain of days gone by; Nor stay thy voice in kindly tear, If to their tones my falling tear Should make a mute reply. The songs that lulled me on the breast To sleep a wav the noon, Sing on—sing on!—I love them best; There’>s witchery in the notes impressed Os each familiar tunc. Give mo old wine—its choicest store Drawn from the shady bin; Our \ iueyauls will produt e no more Such rare strong juice they gave of yore, As sparkling ties within. This was my grandsire's chief delight, When the da\ *s chase was o’er ; Fill high-—fill high!—its treasures bright Should sparkle on our board to-night, Thougli we should drink no more. Give me old friends—the tried, the true, Who launched their barks with mo, And all my joys and sorrows knew, As chance’s gales the pilgrims blew Across the troubled sea. Their memories are the same ns mine; Their love with life shall Inst; Bring one, bring all. their smiles shall shine Upon our good old song and wine, Like sunbeams from the past. SONG. There’s not a word thy lip bath breathed, A look thine eye hath given. That is not shrined w ithin mv heart, Like to a dream of heaven! There's not a spot where we have mot, A favorite flower or tree; There’s not a scene by thee beloved, That is not prized by me Whene'er I hear the linnet's song, Or the blithe woodlarkslay, Or mark, upon the golden west, The rosy clouds decay; Whene’er I catch the breath of flowers, Or mu sick from the tree, Thought wings her way to distant bowers, And incm’ry clings to thee. MISCELLANEOUS. From the Cincinnati Gazette. THE MINSTREL SAILOR. A FANCY SKETCH, BY J. M. M*JILTON. Loud roared the winds, the tempest’s drum Beat loud!v upon high; The minstrel left his lonely home, To seek a place to die. Upon the banks of’ the lovely Utawa, between the channel of St. Ann’s and the rapids, there is a little promontory, whose projecting base arrests the pro gress of the wave, and causes it to revolt upon itself with force sufficient t > sprinkle the spray a little dis tance above its summit, which curling in a long line upon the waters, seems “Like bunches tied of frosted pearl, All glittering in the sun.” Within the hollow of this cape, lies the most beau tiful spot upon all the green isles. It rises on the distance, when approached from the water, like some land of enchantment, sprinkled over with beautiful bowers, all planted by the hand of nature, with buds and blossoms, and richly clustering with her fruits and flowers ; fit emblems for the fancy of one of those fairy lands where light robed spirits revel and lovely nymphs sport in the dance unseen. Here amid those Bharon-like decorations of the dingle, and sweet ab sorbing notes, on zephyr breezes borne, the imagina tion when tired of its travel might seek a repose, or add another scene of loveliness to its own infinity.— Here the soul of the rude savage, that lias long look ed for a spirit-land beyond h's native mountains, might realize all its fancied pleasures, and find a home and a hunting ground, a shell wreathed shore, and a chrystal stream, beautiful beyond even the indulgence of his wildest dreams. And here, if sensual gratifica tion could satisfy, without surfeiting with its monoto ny, a mind by reason and religion better taught—the son of civilization, bettered by the lights of literature and revelation, might hope for the dwelling place of bis soul. “ The gnyent, greenest spot on earth, Bounds bright U lawn’s tide.” Upon this spot, in a little white cottage, lived a mysterious individual, known only as the Minstrel Sailor, whose history was entirely hidden, except that he had emigrated from some distant part of Italy, his wife, infant son, and harp, were his only companions ; and, in these were centered all the joys life had in store for him. Conjecture, as is its custom under all such circum stances, ranged its thousand roads, and many fruitless efforts were made to obtain a knowledge of the histo ry of the strangers. Every attempt, however, proved ineffectual ; for so cautious were they in conversation that a single word never escaped the lips of either, by which any account of them could be traced. The attention of some of the persons who were in the ha bit of visiting the family, was not unfrequcntly arrest ed by the rich, and apparently costly ornaments with which the humble dwelling was adorned. Many of them were covered with the hieroglyphical characters used by the ancients, in years passed away ; and with their talismanic embellishments, the minstrel appear ed to be so well acquainted, that the suspicion of his having been of high and noble extraction, was exci ted in the minds of all who had entered his lowly ha bitation. His kindness won for him the affection of every one who had an opportunity of experiencing it, I ami his seeming gaiety and good humor made a friend 'of every person he nu t. But his cheerfulnes was ‘ like the light of the moon, looking through the folds of a watery cloud ; it was a sweet smile upon the soul ' of resigned misfortune, after the tempest th it wrecked ! it had passed away, and left the waters calm and un i ruffled as the slumber of passion in the bosom of in , fancy. Sorrow may once have wrung him ; and like I the billows of a troubled sea, his feelings may have raved and rolled fierce and fearfully, it may have i gloomed his path ami made its darkness terrible, but i the storm has ceased ; the fire and fervor of his feel ings if such there hail been, had died away ; and in the distance was only heard the faint moaning of the winds, the murmuring music with which they hush themselves to rest; and it mattered not now, though he once wore a diadem, or could boast of having been an Adriatic prince, who had grown weary of ti.e lion lorsof his court, or had been exil'd from that court, in conscqm nee of his own improper conduct—he was now a pleas nt and agreeable, though reserved asso ciate, and worthy of the friendships he received at the hands of strangers’ hearts. His secret was with OUR CONSCIENCE —OUR COUNTRY —OUR PARTY. MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA, TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 16, 1839. himself; and none dared to force an entrance to that inner temple of his heart, that “ holy of holies,” where it was closely locked. He was wealthy in his retirement, and only occupied a portion of his time at labor ; and cultivated a little garden mbre for amusement, than the advantage he derived from it. Upon his harp he was a most perfect performer ; and often vvljen the words and chorus were dim, and the evening hour was throwing its mantle of shade on all around, when there blew not a “ breath the blue wave to curl,” and no sound broke upon the deepening hush,-save the far-off roar of the rapids, which touch ed upon the stillness like the distant announcement of the coming of some spirit, or as though the saint of the “ green isle” was keeping in the remembrance of its favored inhabits, that the wing of her protection was still stretched over them, and would lan them in the midst of their slumbers. At this holy hour the neighbors of the minstrel bad start.' d from their eve ning rest, and approached nearer and nearer to lus dwelling, allured by the fairy-like music of his harp, that mingled its living strains upon the still, night breeze, in sounds so heavenly and entrancing, that they were sometimes half inclined to kneel in worship before the Dircean hand that threw the thrilling notes so sweetly on the air; like the charmed bird to the mouth of the serpent, they would continue on, and on, and linger long, and scarce know why, about the home of the minstrel, from whose harp every succeed ing sound seemed sweeter than than the last. They loved the minstrel, and loved the home that he had beautified by heart and harp, and sound of holy song. Once the minstrel was displeased at the approach of a neighbor too near the shrine he hallowed ; he came too near the sanctuary that he alone at such an hour could enter and be happy. He was seated in a cush ioned arm-chair in front of the house, the foot of his harp was resting upon a stool, his wife was immedi ately before him, and held her boy in her arms ; the long white dress she wore, and the simple manner of her whole attire, with the interesting posture in which she was placed, reminded the intruder of some celes tial being who had descended for a time to weep over the grave of some poor unfortunate. She was in tears; and as the big drops rolled in the ftdl baptism of a mother’s abiding love upon the head of her child, she joined her voice with her husband’s and the notes of the harp, and swelled a chorus worthy of an angel choir. It was a favorite national air he was playing, and for every note his hand drew forth, the other wi ped a tear. This was no hour to welcome a friend : a seraph would have been unwelcome then, unless the object of his visit had been to worship—unless he had mingled his offering with the saint-like sacrifice of feeling, that made a sanctuary of the minstrel’s home. Fora time the invader of this heavenly place stood unobserved ; the iii'nistrt l's sold was in his harp ; and like the rays from the sun, that sou) went forth on every strain. A leaf quivered in the moonlight, and exposed the violator of a spot and scene, upon which had he gazed a moment longer, it would have made him an idolater. The minstrel’s song was done; the sweet spell that had bound him broke, and the music of his harp was hushed and still. He arose from his seat and motioning for his wife to follow, went into the cottage. It was many evenings after before the notes of his harp were awakened, and his neighbors learned from this circumstance that he could not bear interruption when engaged with his loved instrument. This was the first and last time his eve ning oblation was disturbed by the over anxious cu riosity of an intruder. The minstrel owned a beautiful skill’, that sat like a water spirit upon the wave, and moved upon the transparent waters, “like a thing of life.” In this he was often seen with his wife and son, gliding along the smooth surface of the Utawa, pouring the living murmurs of his harp along the tide, until “ The bird fi om the bow. r, mid the stag from the hill, By the sound of such sweetness, attracted, stood still.” It was in the year ’27, a number prophetic in orien tal history, inaiked by talismanic lines, sufficient in themselves to make an Italian tremble, that the min strel had the misfortune to lose his wife and boy. The fates had not yet finished his destiny, and wove more misfortunes with the lahyrinthian web. His wife bad become so accustomed to the waler, that she would frequently take her child into the skiff, and push it far from the shore, where she would amuse herself by permitting it to float a considerable distance down the tide, and then dexterously return it to the shoiT. It was on a beautiful afternoon, while the minstrel was wandering tar away among the fields, that she took for the last time her son into the skiff, and sported upon the chrystal tide. She was not far distant from the shore, when suddenly the Utawa grew dark, and a huge thundercloud unfolded itself in fearful tin-, at enings; still she amused herself, and pointed the child to the forked lightning, as it sported from cloud to cloud. A flaw of wind unexpectedly struck the skill, as the minstrel mounted the promontory, he saw his best beloved ; the all he loved of earth, strug gling in death, with the billow s that commenced swel ling like mountains upon the troubled deep. To look, and not to rush to their rescue, was worse than death. He sprung from the elevation, and in an in stant was at tire spot, where a moment before, all his hopes of earthly happiness had sunk. He seized the skiff, and battled a while manfully with the moiHitain surges; but it was to no purpose; the angry waves rolled heedlessly around him, as though no had bubbled through its bosom from the lovely tenement it had enlivened, and mocked every attcfiipt of the minstrel to penetrate its almost fathomless depths. The skiff and its occupant were driven to the shore where the minstrel stood with his bosom all bared and exposed to the fury of the wind and the storm, and defied the dreadful thunder and the fierce light ning that played in terrific grandeur about him. The next morning found him still on the shore, calling upon the tempest to give him back his dead. The calm and quiet temper of the minstrel was changed ; and the same bosom w hose feelings would have bask ed in the sunshine and the gold of a summer evening sky, w'otdd now have seized “thethunder’s War-dub,” and have, “beat the tempest drum.” Like the smooth waters of apeaceful river, that may be rous ed to the roar and foam of the cataract; so did the slumbering storm awake from bis bosom, and spend itself upon the element that had robbed him of bis hopes. The bodies of his wife and boy were found next day, and interred at his request near the shore, where ever afterwards when a storm arose, he stood to de fy its power.—The harp of the minstrel was now neglected ; he found no heaven in its notes, and but! seldom awakened its melancholy ; and when heard, it was always in strains of solemn, thrilling song. So had his disposition altered, that instead of his harp, he loved to watch the tempest as it blackened on the distant horizon ; with the long, dark locks streaming .in the wind, he would rush with that last companion of his lonely hours, upon his arm ; and as lie would strike its wires roughly with his ha ul, he would yell above the bowling of the wind “ Give me back my dead.” He left a 'while his solitary home and traveled to Iris native land. His house, with its con tents and his skifl’, were left in the charge of bis near est neighbor, with this only request, that he should keep it safely till his return. “ ’Tis a holy trust,” said he, “ and 1 know you cannot violate it.” He was gone but a short tirne, and returned as wretched as he went away. His harp only added a deeper misery to his life, and he smashed it in a thousand pieces upon a rock, saying, “ Henceforth the yell of the tempest, anti the haggard howling of the winds, shall be the music of my soul!” It was about midnight when the last loud storm that ever roused the minstrel commenced its thunderiugs. He sprung from his bed of boards; and seizing a fire brand, threw it upon the one of down, upon which he had so often watched his beloved while she slept. His dwelling was soon enveloped in flames ; and in I spite of the efforts of ills neighbors, who attempted I to save it, was leveled with the ground. “ Now,” I said he, “ howl ye tempests, I’ll wrap me in your; winds for my shroud, and the cold unfeeling wave I shall be my sepulchre.” His words had scarcely died away when a fla-di of | lightning exposed him beating the wind and rain with ! his ttands, while liis skiff was hurrying fast towards ■ the rapids. It was the last lime he was seen. The j skiff was found below the rapids. AFFECTING SCENE. We find in the Philadelphia Evening Star the fol lowing article, relating to the sentencing of Doctor Chauncy, who had been convicted of causing the deatii ol a Miss Sowers of that city, by attempting to proc tire an aboi lion : “An affecting scene occurred on Monday, in the Court of Oyer and Terminer. The spacious room was crowded to excess, and the solemnity of the be nch, consulting upon some topic of judgment, indicated that they were about to exercise an important and unpleasant duty. In the mid 4of the concourse of lawyers and gentlemen within the bar, sat an elderly man, obout fifty, of genteel appearance. He was about to be sentenced loan ignominious punishment. 1 1 is lace intimated to the observer that recollections j of his home and his large family, were darkly and j deeply penciling an additional agony to his heart, ! and ploughing- an new furrow into his forehead. “ He was a man ol classical education, and that refines the feelings ; but ho was induce d to enter upon the delecate and dangerous business of dealing with life and death, and he realzed that the brilliant scholar is capable of catching the healing art by intuition. A young and erring girl fell by his hand and the law called it murder. His plea of professional duty, and of tender care for her reputation, availed not. He had done an unlawful act, and the inflexible commen tary ol the law gave to the act the aspect of the high est penal offence. The court, by its organ, the pres ident, directed that the prisoner stand up. He evi dently made the efloi i-w-and again, and again—to obey the direction,*but failed ; bis agitated frame was palsied. “He was overheard to say to his counsel beside him—“For God’s sake save me from this ceremony.” But the ancient formality of the law must be complied with. A violent effort brought him to his feet, pale, I haggard and staggering, the lineaments of his face; speaking the language that imprisonment, misery! and disgrace among men impress upon the most | hardened. The Judge iini>ressivei_v prefaced a short ! address to the sentence —he spared the unhappy man ! an oration of daggers ; the judicial fiat was spoken [ —he fell upon his seat, unmanned ; his tears fell like ! rain drops, and his sobs broke out audibly. He is nowiu solitary confinement, at hard labor, in the | Francisville jail : and for five long years his earthly j career is, as it were, suspended. Who would be a criminal ? FROM THE JOURNAL OF A BALLOONIST. Passing a cloud, I put out my hand and took a piece of it, and squeezed it like a sponge, and the wa ter ran out. The sun went north about, but never set. At the distance of about fifty leagues above the earth, we saw a white swan sitting on the corner of a cloud." If we had had a gun we could have shot it. Passing by V le moon, saw a fellow selling land at auction. He wished us to give a bid, but we told him i we had not come to buy lands in the moon. We came across a comet, but it was asleep. It looked like a terrapin, but bad a tail like a fox, We came near a hail-bank, and fdled a hat to bring down with us. The hailstones were about as large as a pigeon’s egg. i A thousand miles above the earth we passed through a field of turkey-boozards. This would seem to be their region, and accounts for the circumstance, that no one lias ever found a nest of one of these. These rookeries arc out of sight in the atmosphere. As we approached uneof the heavenly bodies it appeared like an island. We struck upon a planet, but Blanchard got out and pushed off the balloon, We supposed it to be Mercury, as we heard orators haranguing, and a multitude of tongues. There were marriages go ing on in Venus, and in Mars we heard the drums beat. We meant to have a pull at one of’Saturn’s rings, but we were blown off the coast, and found our selves in the latitude of Herschell. Provisions fail ing, we thought proper to shape our course towards the earth again. The first thing we saw, was the for est of Ardennes, which appeared like a shamrock. The Pyrenniaii mountains seemed like a bed of pars ley ; and the Atlantic Ocean about ns large ns Loch Swilley. Within a furlong of the earth, Blanchard gave me the Parachute, and I came down. r. L. ISOBINSOA, Proprietor* WHOLE NUMBER 285. ODDS' AND ENT'S. A mercantile firm in Boston is composed of Messrs. Kneel Pray. There is a firm in New York quite as odd, Read fy Work. During the administration of the elder Adams, at a town meeting down cast, an eminent statesman was t ailing against Albert Gallatin, and spoke of him as pocr devil who had come to this country with but half a shirt to his back. A wag in the gallery in stantly remarked, that in al! probability be had the other half on bis belly. We dislike to see a married woman playing the flirt—we don’t like to see persons more watchful of their neighbors conduct than their own. We also dislike gaudiness of apparel—it is generally the sub stitution of drcsss for character. i Tl-;.' Little Genius thinks that all prisons must be money nu king concerns, since their in comes always exceeds their owFgoes. * The arrogant air of foppish indolence always dis gusts a man of common sense. One honest industri ous mechanic, is worth the whole herd of perfumed exquisites, who infest our streets with their collars turned down and not a cent in their pockets. Never go to bed at night without knowing some thing you did not know in the morning. That’s the way to be wise. The salary of the British Ambassador at Paris is §60,000 per annum, besides perquisites. Yet such is the vice regal dignity maintained at his splendid ho tel, that he is obliged to spend in addition the income of a large private fortune. A German writer observes, that in England there is such a’scarcity of thieves, they are obliged to offer a reward for their discovery. An inveterate drinker in Boston, lays the whole blame of his degradation upon his mother, who he says weaned him on salt fish I Beauty is worse than liquor, it intoxicates the bol der and beholder. Interesting Extract.—“ And this is the Dead I Sea, and below these dark waters are the sites, per haps the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah, such as when the smoke ol the country went up, as the smoke of a ! furnace. There is a tale, that nothing living, not even a bird, can ever cross this sea. But there is no need of imaginary stories, to heighten the desolation of the scene, and we, as well as other travellers, can testify to its inaccuracy, by our own observations. We believe, however, that its waters are unfavorable to animal file; and, though a shell or two may be oc , casionally picked up upon the shore, yet these have been probably brought down by the Jordan. The wa ter is excessively biller and nauseous; and if addition , al evidence were wanting, we also could testify to its I great gravity, and to the buoyancy of the human ! body, when immersed in it. It is only by much ex , ertion, and for a very short lime, that any one can get ; and remain below the stirfare. We went from here to the Jordan, and struck the I river, where tradition says, the children of Israel passed over, when they first entered the Land of I Promise. On the west side is a low bottom, andon Hie east a high sandy bluff, and the shores of the river ■ are covered with aquatic bushes. The water was thick and turbid, and the current rapid, and too deep to be sounded , ‘for Jordan overflowed all his banks, all (he time of harvest. And here did cross the Jewish nation, over this turbulent stream, ‘on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.’—And we followed their route to Jerricho, the frontier city of the Canaanites, where ‘the people shouted with a great shout, that the wail fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, ev;ery man straight before him, and ihey took the city.’ There is no city now to take, nor are there any wails now to fall.—There are a few miserable hovels, made of rude stones and mud, and the ruined walls of a build ing of the middle ages, where the wretched Arabs burrow, rather than live. Jericho lias disappeared as completely as her rival cities, which sunk before the wrath ofthe Almighty. And it requires an effort to be satisfied, that here thegreat miracle, which atten ded the entrance ofthe Jews into Canaan, was per formed though the truth of the denunciation is be fore the e)es of the traveller; ‘Cursed be the man before the Lord, that raiseth up and buildeth this city Jericho.’ Thus speaks Ij. Cass, American Minister at Paris, who, in August, 1838, stood upon the shore ofthe Dead Sea, traversed the track-wi yof the Israelites through the wildernes, nnd noted the place of their passages across the Red Sea. Exchanging a Wife. — Rather a singular case was disclosed on Saturday, in the report ofthe committee on the State Prison, upon the petition of Samuel Weston for release. By the statement of Copeland, it appears that the prisoner was commited under the following circumstances. About five years ano his wife was stolen and carried oft’ by a man who until that time had lived in his neighborhood, and who also had a wile of his own. Probably, however, the abduction was not without some degree of volition on the part of the stolen property herself. Poor Weston was quite disconsolate under his be reavement, but being somewhat of a “simple body,” some mischevous fellows advised hint to make up for his loss by taking the other man’s wife, who of course had been left behind without any husband. Believing that “ fair exchange was qo robery,” he concluded to do so, and with the lady’s consent he took her home, called all square, ant! every thing was going on smoothly again, to the satisfaction of all parties. His happiness however, was doomed to be again interrupted ; for he was complained of, arrested, tried and convicted, and for this act so innocently com mitted on his part, he was sentenced to six years imprisonment. Five years of this 4erm will expire in Febuary next, and he now very humbly petitioned the Legislature to abate the remaining year. From the testimony of Mr. Pillsbury, the warden of the prison, it appeared that the poor fellow was a harm ess, inoffensive man, and his petition was granted unnnimouslv.—We could almost wish the House had also grant'd him a special dispensation with full per mission to take his adopted spouse again, and live with her, until his own lawful wife should be returned to him. Had it not been for bad example’s sake perhaps they would.— [Hartford (Ct.) Courier.