Newspaper Page Text
From the New York American.
A LIVE MERMAID, AND NO MISTAKE.
A prodigious excitement prevails in Ire
land, especially in the North, in consequence
of an actual firing Mermaid, which was re
cently caught in a salmon net, at Honneraw
Point, in the county of Donegal. There can
l>e no mistake in this fact, as five or six pa
pers corroborate it in the important points;
but the “ Derry Sentinel” and the “ Ferma
naugh Journal” are the most enthusiastic and
particular in their descriptions. The first an
nouncement appeared in the Sentinel as fol
lows
A Mermaid, and no mistake. —A very gen
eral disbelief in the existence of the Mermaid
is iikelv to receive a severe shock, from the
truth of the follow mg statement : A creature
in every respect answering the usual descrip
tion of the “sea woman,” was caught lately inj
the salmon nets, at Honneraw Point, near
Fahan, county Donegal. She is at present
urn er the protection of a gentleman of that 1
neighborhood, who has kindly permitted the
country people, who are flocking in hundreds
about the place, to “see and believe.”
The members of the Londonderry Natural
History Society, we understand, are to inves
tigate this extraordinary phenomenon, for the
purpose of sending an immediate report of
their observations to the British Association, 1
sitting at Newcastle. We understand that, if
the novel monster should survive the sudden
change in her situation, she will lie sent to
Viscount Melbourne as a present to the Queen;
if not, the body will be preserved in spirits,]
and will grace the now forming museum of
our local Society. A minute description shall
be given in our next.
Tlie effect of this notice was, that at least a
fourth of all the inhabitants of Derry, who
could afford the expense, proceeded in a body
to Honneraw, where they were admitted to
an inspection of the singular creature, w hich
is thus described in the Fermanagh Journal.
The Mermaid. —This is certainly a sea wo
man, and has such an expression of intelli
gence in its countenance, that we are absolute
ly inclined to believe that it is a creature of
reason, rather than of instinc'. We do not
mean to insinuate that it has a ly notion ofab.
stract ideas ; but the fact is, that there is no
appearance of confusion about it that would
seem to indicate sentiments ofshame, fear, and
supplication. It weighs about seventy pounds,
and is altogether human in its outward organi
zation from the head to the navel, when the
fins begin to develop themselves and the ex
tremity is formed very like the extremity of a
large dolphin. The skin of the face and the
breast is a whitish brown'; the eyes are black,
and the nose purely acquiline ; and its eye
brows, lips, and chin, are models for a sculp
tor ; the hair is long and thick, the creature’s
principal amusement seems to be to stoke it
downward w ith her w ebbed, but otherwise | er.
feet fingers.
It looks to be twelve or fourteen years old,
and regards people occasionally as if it had an
inclination to speak ; and we are solemnly of
opinion that, w hen in its native element, it
makes its wishes known through the medium
of its tongue. Altogether, indeed, it is the
most singulft being we ever witnessed, and
excites feelings in the breast of beholders, at
least as much akin to awe as to curiosity. ('an
it have a soul and be an accountable creature ?
At all events, we shall examine it closely this
week, and report particulars.
We shall look with great anxiety tor our
next files of Irish papers, on the receipt of
which we trust to be able to furnish the rea
ders of The Examiner w ith some fuller infor
mation in relation to this surprising pheno
menon.
PUTNAM AND THE BRITISH OFFICER.
It is well known that in the time of the old
French war much jealously existed between
the British and Provincial officers. A British
Major deemed himself insulted by General
(tlien Captain) Putnam, sent him a challenge.
Putnam, instead of giving a direct answer, re
quested the pleasure of a personal interview
with the Major. He came to Putnam’s tent
and found him seated on a small keg, quietly
smoking his pipe. He demanded what com
munication, if any, Putnam had to make.
“Why, you know,” said Putnam, “I’m but a
poor miserable Yankee, that never fired a
pistol in my life, and you must have an undue
advantage over me. Here are two powder
kegs : 1 have bored a hole and inserted a slow
match in each: so ifyou w ill just he so good
as to seat yourself there, I will light the
matches; and lie who dares sit the longest
without squirming, shall he called the bravest
fellow. The tent was lull of officers and
men, who were hugel tickled at this strange
device of the ‘old w olf,’ and compelled the
Major by their laughter and exhortations to
squat. The signal was given and the matches
lighted. Putnam co itinued smoking quite
indifferently, without watching at all their pro
gressive diminution ; but the British officer,
though a brave fellow, could not help casting
longing, lingering looks downwards, arid his
terrors increased as the length of his match
diminished. The spectators withdrew one by
one to get out of the reach of the expected
explosion. At length, when the fire was with
in an inch of the keg, the Major, unable to en
dure longer, jumped up, and drawing out his
match, cried, “Putnam, this is wilful murder!
draw out your match—l yield !” “The devil!”
cried Putnam, “my dear fellow, do n’t he in
such a hurry: they're nothing hut kegs of
onions /” The Major was suddenly missing,
having sneaked of.
THE IRISH SOLDIER.
Some time before the breaking up of the
British head quarters at Cambray, an Irish
Soldier, a private in the *23d regiment of foot,
was convicted for shooting at, and robbing a
FieDch peasant, and was in consequence
sentenced to be hanged. On arriving at the
place of execution, lie addressed the spec ators
in a stentorian voice, as follows: ' Bad lu.-k
to the Duke of Wellington ! he’s no—lrish
man’s fr eid any way. I base killed many
score of Frenchman by his orders, and w hen 1
mst took it in my lieod to kill one upon my ow n
account, by the’ powers he has taken me up
for it.’
HOW TO MAKE A NEWSPAPER POPULAR.
A few years after the commencement of
the “Columbian Centinel,’in Boston, Mr. Rus
sell. its editor ami publisher, finding that the
profits arising therefrom w ere not sufficient to
defray his expenses, applied to Mr. Barrel!
(one of the most popular merchants of his
; time) for advice as to the course he had best
pursue in tlie very unpleasant dilemma in
which he was placed. He informed Mr. B.
of the particulars of his situation in his usual
plain, honest manner, saying that his expen
ses were so much on the increase, and his
profits were so small, that he thought he
should be obliged to give up his paper and
seek his fortune elsewhere. Mr. Barrell im
mediately remarked that his (Mr. R.’s) case
was not so desperate as he imagined it to be,
and recommended him to lash some of the most
popular characters of the day in the most se
vere terms in his columns, which course he
felt sure would not only bring his paper into
more notice than it then was, but would great
ly add to his subscription list, and increase the
patronage of advertisers. Mr. Russell replied,
that such a course would be repugnant to his
feelings, but as he had always considered Mr.
Barrell as a very warm friend, and a man of
superior judgement, he would take his advice
into serious consideration.
On ihe morning of the next publication of
the Centinel, when Mr. Barrell went into
State street, he observed almost every one with
1 eyes and mouths wide open, as if he was a
monster in human shape ; and could not solve
the mystery of their looks until a gentleman
asked him why Mr. Russell had lashed him so
unmercifully in his paper of that day? Mr.
B, at once stepped into an insurance office—
read the paper, and as he progressed in the ar
ticle about himself, he waxed wanner, till at
length, in a high dudgeon, he found his way
to the Centinel office when, he demanded
of the editor, in round set terms, why he had
treated him so infamously ? Mr. Russell re
plied, that as Mr. B. seemed agitated, lie had
better be seated until he became cool and
collected, and then he would satisfy him to his
heart’s content. After looking at the affairs
of the office, Mr. Russell appeared before Mr.
Barrell with a low bow, and offered the fol
lowing explanation :
“ Sir, you w ell know that I have ever es
teemed you to be my most valued friend, and
in whose good judgement 1 have ever had the
most implicit confidence; for, in my utmost
need, I applied to you for advice, which you
cheerfully gave to me. At that time, it is
true, the course which you marked out for me
was iepu riant to my feelings ; but, after ma
ture deliberation, 1 was satisfied that it w ould
have the desired effect, and determined to pur
sue it. Then I had to select a subject. After
looking around among our townsmen, 1 could
not find one whose unexceptionable character,
exalted standing, and extensive usefulness,
were equal to your own. I therefore selected
you as the first object of attack. If a man
cannot take a liberty with a friend, with whom
the devil can he ?”
From the Milledgevillc (Ga.) Journal.
We have looked over the report of the State
Geologist to the Governor, and find much in
teresting matter communicated. The opinion
is advanced, that our pine barrens are by no
means such worthless land as they have been
generally considered. Some of the land has
a subsoil of clay, and is equal in fertility to any
in the State. In Washington county, there
are immense beds of Marl, argillaceous and
calcareous; these we think might he wrought
to profitable advantage, by making arrange
ments for its transportation to such neighbor
ing counties as may stand in need of it. to re
suscitate their exhausted lands. The culture
of wheat might be introduced on the lime
lai ds of Washington, with profit—there is
lime in great quantities in the soil of Washing
ton, and it is a some what remarkable circum
stance in agriculture, that this important grain
cannot be raised successfully on soils w here
lime iSj not present; a lime soil it is said, pre
vents the wheat from being subject to blast,
while the grains fills well. Lime at the quarry
in Washington, we understand, brings $3 per
cask. The Government House we believe is
Guilt with mortar made from the lime of Wash
ington county.
About ten miles from Sandersville, N. W.
there occurs a bed of yellow Ochre of good
quality.
Our own county, (Baldwin) is suitunted
on tlie Southern terminus of the primordial
region. The intermediate rock formation
passes across the county at its lower part.;
this extends from the Savannah river in Rich
mond county, to Camp creek in this country,
in a direction nearly S. W. by W. its dip in
Baldwin is not far from 80 deg. east. The
opinion is expressed that if lime could be sup
plied to our soil, its productiveness in Corn
and Cotton, would equal that of any county in
the State. About seven miles north of Mill
edgeville, there is a locality of beautiful white
granite, containing specks of dark lamellar
Hornblende. When just taken from the
quarry, this rock is soft, easy to split into
| blocks of any dimension and can be readily
, faced.
About three miles north of Milk dgeville, or
curs a singular locality of decomposing gueiss;
near it is a small spring containing sulphuret
of iron and a salt which analysis has prove I to
be the triple salt of sulphate of Potash and
Magnesia. Cattle are fond of this water as
well as of the salt, and the locality may with
propriety be termed a saltlick. An extensive
locality of green oxide of Copper combined
with Iron, occurs in the plantation of Mr.
Meacham, which may prove of value. Varie
gated Stia'ite occurs on the plantations of M r.
| Newell and Mr. Perry, which might be ren
; dered serviceable for hearths, jambs, furna-
ces, dec.
Bog and mountain Iron ore, green and
black oxides and sulphuret ofC-opper, associa
ted with Galena and sulphuret of Iron occur
in Putnam county, nine miles south of Eaton -
; ton. Sienite abounds in Litter River, a useful
and ornamental stone for architecture. A
locality of Greensand which is highly prized
in England and France, as an application to
lands occurs to Morgan county. This miner
al is considered superior to lime and marl.
The cut lor the Madison branch of the Geor
'l gia Rail Rond passes through it for several
THE SOUTHERN POST.
rods. This circumstance may bring it into
use at points to which it can be easily carried
by tlie Rail Road.
POPULAR ERRORS.
That a contract, made on Sunday, is not
binding.
That those who are loudest or most unceas
ing in their professions of regard for the Peo
ple, are the People’s truest friends.
That genuine courage is shown by vaporing
or bravado.
That it is consistent with the character of
a gentleman, to smoke in a stage coach. i
That green or unseasoned w ood, is as good
for making fires, as dry, or unseasoned w ood.
That, in order to exc'ude a child from a
share in his father’s estate, the father’s will
must give him something, however small; or
mention him, in any manner.
That hot bread, or bread less that twenty,
four hours’ old, is wholesome.
That excessive familiarity is not dangerous
to friendship. When I hear two men, whose
intimacy does not date from childhood, calling
each other ‘Tom,’ and ‘Nat,’ I look for a
speedy and perhaps violent death to their
friendship—True friendship is not only shown
but strengthened, by mutual respect.
Th t a first love is necessarily purer, stron
ger, than a second, or third, or fourth love.
That keeping the door open in cold weather
is conducive to health.
That other people have not as many, or as
great causes of unhappiness, as ourselves.
That any simpleton will do for a legislator.
That a lawyer, to succeed in his profession,
is obliged to utter falsehoods.
That those who are constantly talking of
the dishonesty of other people, are themselves
honest.
That tlie citation of many books, or the use
oflearned words, is a sign of learning.
That persons who clamor for practice as
better than theory, and are celebrated by them
selves and friends as practical men, are always
more trustworthy th «n those whom they deride
as ‘theorists.’ The former have usually no
guide but their own (often narrow) experience:
the hatter sometimes have the light gathered
by a thousand clear and active minds, during
ages of diligent and enlarged observation. A
properly constructed theory is the methodized,
the digested result, of what has been seen and
done by hundreds of ‘ practical men.’
That a man, whom his neighbors would not
trust with a hundred dollars of their own mo
ney, is fit to be trusted with the most impor
tant public interests.
That education consists only in being sent
to school or in book learning.
That political consistency is shown by ad
hering constantly to the same men, through
all their changes of conduct and opinion.
That it is inconsistency to think with one
party on some points, and with an opposite
party on other points. M.
ECLIPSES.
The ancient had terrible ideas of Eclipses ;
supposing the.n presages of some dreadful
events. Plutarch assures us, that in Rome it
was not allowed to talk publicly of any natu
ral causes of Eclipses; the popular opinion
running so strongly in favor of their superna
tural production, :it least those of the Moon ;
for as to those of the sun, they had some idea
that they were caused by the inti rposition of
the Moon, hut were at a loss for a body to in
terpose between us and the Moon, which they
thought must be the way, if the Eclipses of the
Moon were produced by natural causes. They
therefore made a great noise w ith brazen in
struments, and set up loud shouts during the
eclipses of the Moon. Others attributed the
eclipses of the Moon to the arts of Magicians,
who, by their enchantments, plucked her cut of
Heaven, and made her skimovtr the grass.
The natives of Mexico kept fast during the
time of the Eclipse: and particularly their wo
men, who beat and abused themselves, drawing
blood from their arms, &e. imagining the
moon lias been wounded by the sun, in some
quarrel between them.
The Chinese have an idea that Eclipses are
occasioned by great dragons, who are ready to
devour the Sun and Moon; and therefore,when
they perceive an eclipse, they rattle drums and
brass kettles till they think the monster, terri
fied by the noise, lets go his prey.
The superstitious notions entertained of an
Eclipse, have been sometimes of considerable
advantage, as was the case with Columbus.
But the most striking circumstance of this
kind was the prediction of an eclipse of the
Sun of Thales, the great father of Astronomy,
| which happened according to Mayor’s calcu
lation, on the 17tli of May, 003 years before
Christ, at the moment that Cyaxares, King of
the Modes, and Aliathos, King of the Lydians,
were preparing for battle, but alarmed at the
appearance of the eclipse, they immediately
laid down their arms and negociated a peace ;
and thus, ignorance, which is often so injuri-;
ous to the happiness of man, may, in this in
jstance, he said to have laigely contributed to
wards it.
REMEDY FOR SCALDS AND BURNS.
After an accident of the kind has happened,
take the white of an egg or eggs and pure
sweet oil, equal parts, mix them well until they
form a soft of paste or salve, apply it to the
wound on a linen rag. The time of action is
from 10 to 40 minutes, after which there is
seldom any neceseity of renewing it, as all
pain ceases.
ROYALTY FROM A BREW HOUSE.
During the reign of Charles 1. a country
girl came to London in search of a place as a I
servant maid. But not succeeding, she hired
himself to carry out beer from a brew house, j
The brewer observing a good looking girl in
his occupation, took her into his family as a I
servant maid, and shortly afte. married her;]
but lie died whilst she was a young woman, j
and left her the bulk of his fortune. The busi
ness of tne brewery was dropped, and the
young widow was recommended to Mr. Hyde,
as a skilful lawyer, to arrange her husband’s
affairs. Hyde (who was afterwards the Earl
! of Clarendon) finding the widow’s fortune con
siderable, married her. Os this marriage there
j was no other issue than a duughte., who was
! afterwards the wife of James IL, the mother
(of Mary and Anue, Queens of England.
From the Savannah Georgian.
FROM THE OKEFENOCAH.
We have been favored by a gentlemen of
this city with the following interesting letter
from Gen. Floyd, giving an account of that
gallant officer having explored this hitherto
inaccessible and unknown region. It will be
! seen that Gen. Floyd passed through it from
jS. W. to N. E. and that he has discovered
the Island which has hitherto served as a strong
hold and lurking place to ihe blood thirsty
| Indians after his excursions of blood and plun.
der.
Trader Hill, Nov. 17 th, 1838.
On the sth inst. I left here with only four
companies of my regiment, (one mounted and
the rest on foot)for fort Gilmer on theSawanee
river, distant fifty-six miles, and arrived here
on the 6th. On the 7th and Bth examin id the
country' and proposed to enter the Okefenocah
which is twenty-one miles from fort Gilmer.
On the 9th, having added one company of U.
|S. Dragoons, (dismounted) and two compa
| nies of volunteers to my small force, and
stationed small detachments on the border of
the Suw’anee to prevent the escape of the ene
my, I marched from fort Gilmer for the Oke
fenocah, on the eastern bank of the Sawanee,
and reached the edge of the swamp on the
10th and on the same day built a picket fort
for a depot for provisions, and called it fort
Tatnall. On the 11th sent back to fort Gilmer
my baggage train, cavalry horses, tent and
camp equipage, and leaving a lieutenant and
fifteen men at fort Tatnall, entered the Oke
fenocah, and after marching about four miles
(half the distance through muddy and dismal
swamps) arrived at an island called by the
Indians Chepucky. On this island is an old
field and the remains of an Indian town called
Chepuckytulofa, which means Chepucky’s
town. On the western edge of the island is a
small lake, which I supposed io be connected
with the Suwanee near its source. Built a
fort on the island and called it “ Fort Walker,”
in compliment to a gallant officer. I entered
the swamp at fort Tatnall on what is called the
old mickasuky trail, which was followed by
Capt. Beale last August about three and a half
miles into the swamp beyond fort Walker.
Being unprepared to go further, lie turned
back, having gone further into the swamp than
any other white man up to that time. The
trail followed by Capt. Beale was supposed to
lead to an island about the centre of the swamp,
celebrated in indian tradition, and which I
supposed to be (if it existed) the head quarters
of the enemy. Nov. 12th sent one hundred
men with a guard to bring in our provisions
from fort Tatnall to fort Walker on their shoul
ders and slung on poles, the ti ail being impassi
ble to horses.
This arduous duty was handsomely perform
ed. 13th marched from the island with about
250 men, leaving a captain and twenty-nine
men at fort Walker. Our course was N. E.
with very little variation for eight and a half
hours through one of the mo .1 horrible swamps
on the face of the earth. Below us was mud
and water (sometimes nearly waist deep) and
roots and logs, and above and round were
briars, vines and bushes, forming altogether
obstacles that no language can accurately
describe. Each man carried five days pro
visions, nothing else save his arms and ammu
nition. In the evening, (having marched by
our calculation twelve our fourteen miles
from fort Walker,) we emerged from the
swamp and entered the island which we sought
never before beheld by the eyes of white man.
It was, as I expected the head quarters of the
enemy.
We found their camp and a town w th com
fortable houses, but the enemy had gone by
tl.eir signs about two months ago. Encamp,
ed in a beautiful hammock of live oak and
laurel trees. 14th, explored the islaad and
burnt the Indian town. The island (which
my officers have named Floyd’s Island, and
by which name it will hereafter be known) is
about 20 miles long, very high and shaped
like a crescent, one end pointing to the west
and the other to the north, the concave side
fronting N. W. On this side of the island is
an extensive prairie, level as a lake, and cover,
ed with short grass, and adorned with beauti
ful islands from which (over the prairie) the
woods on tlie border of the swamp may be
seen about 20 miles distant to the S. W. and
N. W, The Okefenocah, instead of being a
barren waste, contains some of the best lands
in Georgia. Floyd’s island appears to divide
the source of the Little St. Marys’ river from
the Suwanee. Deer, bear, and turkeys are
numerous on the island, and thousands of wild
geese and ducks are on the prairies. In the
deep swamps there is no sign of either deer or
other large animals, and but few birds are
seen.
15th, Sent one company back to fort Walk
er and marched early with the rest from the
island, determined to (orce a passage if possible
to the main land in a N. E. direction. For
eleven and a half hours we bogged through
mud and water, sometimes entangled in vines,
briars and thickets, and sometimes in open
ponds and prairies: at times we were bewil
dered, our provisions were nearly exhausted
and we were in a wilderness unknown to us;
but 1 was determined not to turn back, sodtead
ful was the swamp over which we had passed.
Several times I sent men up trees to look out
for land, lor we felt as if we were on the
ocean, and at last, near sunset we were rejoiced
at seeing the green tops of pine trees over the
gloomy cypress, about five miles distant. It
was long after dark before we emerged from
the swamp, and when we reached dry land,
we were the most miserable creatures that ever
walked on two legs ; wet, hungry, and nearly
dead from fatigue. On the march several men
were bogged so deep that it required tw'o men
to pull them out, and many on landing were
! without pantaloons and shoes, these articles
] being torn off by briars, roots and guagmires.
I marched at the head of the troops, carrying
j my haversack of provisions as a common sol
dier, and suffered greatly ; but it is a satisfac
tion to me to have performed what all other
men have deemed impossible: to cross the
Okcfenocah with an army.
Our course was through the middle of the
' swamp from S. W. to N. E.—we came out
about twelve miles north of Traders Hill. The
last day’s march is computed to he eighteen or
twenty miles. Our discoveries in the swamp
g will be of great utility—they will enable us
hereafter to exclude the Indians from the Oke
fenocah, their hiding place for half a century,
and will open to the citizens of Georgia new
sources, of wealth in the rich of the
i swamp.
To-morrow I shall march to Cox’s Ham
mock on the west side of the swamp, and com
mence operations at that point, intending to
scour the western border of the swamp to fort
Gilmer. The departure of the Indians from
Floyd’s Island justifies a report in circulation
about a month ago that they had gone to
Western F'lorida. If any Indians are in the
swamp they do not exceed forty or fifty and
are on the western border of the Okefenocah.
My intention is to search every place. I shall
establish a strong fort on Floyd’s Island and j
make a road to it from fort Walker sufficient
ly good for pack horses. By holding the in
terior, the enemy will be forced to the border
where they can easily be found. I have placed
all the regulars in this part of Georgia under
my command, and find them very efficient.
JUSTICE.
A facetious young gentleman seated him
self in the chair of Justice M., in his absence,
in Olive street, to examine the revised statutes
which lay on the table. Several persons
were sitting in the magistrate’s office, awaiting
his return from dinner. A woman can e in,
and addressed the gentleman in the magis
trate’s chair supposing him to be the justice.
‘ Veil, den, sqhuire, I gum for justice—my
old man peats, [teats me so as I vash hemp in
de hackle—dell me vat I must do mit him.’
The usurper of the magistrate’s chair pro
ceeded to advise the applicant. ‘Have you
hot water in the house when he assaults you ?’
‘To pe sure! and so as I scalts him vill he
quit ?’
‘No madam,’ was the reply ; 4 wash his
cloths with the hot water, and give your own
a turn or two in the tub when your hand is in; j
men love clean women better than more
earthly commodities. Y’ou must give the
brute a warm reception when he assails you,
but do it always with the hot poker.’
‘lsh dat da law squhire?’
‘ Certainly madam ; the law of nature, self
.defence.’
‘Thanks, sqhuire; I gifts him dunder and
blitzen efry time lie licks me.’
‘A praiseworthy resolution, said the coun
terfeit magistrate, ‘you’l soon make a dutiful
husband of him.’
• How much has I got to bay for dish justice,
sqhuire ?’
‘Nothing, madam ; let your husband have
all your attentions.’
‘ I’ll gif him dunder and blitzen,’ said she, as
she courtseyed to depart. ‘l’ll choke him mit
de krout and smearkase, a id kilts him all de
time mit hot pokers.’
The happy woman flitted down Shark Al
ley, with such desperate determination as
governs the rank and file of a fork rn hope.
Missouri News.
WOMEN.
Women make their advances as time makes
his. At twenty when the swain approaches
to pay his devoirs, they exclaimed with an air
of languid indifference, ‘Who is he?’—At
thirty, with a pruder look towards the ways
;and means the question is, ‘What is he?’ At
forty much anxiety manifests itself to make
I the hymenial selection, and the query chan
ges itself into—‘Which is he?’ but at fifty, the
I anxious expectant prepares to seize upon any
! prey and exclaims, ‘Where is he ?’
A LONG STANDING MILK SCORE.
It is stated in a Paris paper, that a man
forty-four years of age, in prison there, is de
tained for the milk which he drew from his
foster mother’s breast. When lie was weaned,
in 1795, his father owed the nurse 300 francs,
which sum was never paid ; and when the
son came of age, he took the debt upon him
self, giving a note of hand for 'the amount,
payable in two years with interest. At the
time the note became due he was unable to take
it up, and it was renewed, with the addition
of stamps, interest and charges. This pro
cess has been continued (ill the present time,
when the accumulated debt amounts to no less
than 5,700f., besides 1,213f. foi costs.
Some years ago, when Moncrief wrote with
more spirit than he does now, Elliston locked
him up in a room to complete a piece that was
much wanted. On entering the room some
hours afterwards, he found the dramatist un
der the table, an empty bottle overturned, and
the unfinished manuscript, completely satura
ted in gin, of which the author had concealed
a bottle in his pocket. “My God,” cried Ellis
ton, “this is too bad. You have not looked
at the piece.” ‘Oh, yes,” hiccupped the au
thor, still on the floor, “can’t you see how I’ve
been pouring over it!”
CURIOSITIES OF PHYSIC.
Tl le human resemblance of the mandrake
root inspired the vulgar with the idea that it
was nothing less than a familiar demon. It
was gathered with peculiar rites; three times
a magic circle was drawn around it with a
naked sword; and the person who was daring
enough to pluck it from the earth, was subject
to manifold dangers and diseases, unless un
der some special protection ; therefore it was
not unusual to get it eradicated by a dog, fas
tened to it by a cord, and who was whipped off
until the precious root was pulled out. Often,
it was asserted, din the mandragore utter
piteous cries and groans, when thus severed
from mother eath. Albertus the Great affirms
that the root has a more powerful action when
growing under a gibbet, and is brought to
greater prefection by the nourishing secre
tions that drop from the criminal’s dangling
; corpse.
THE STRIPED PIG OUTDONE.
It is stated in an exchange paper, that rum,
the sale of which is prohibited to the troops of
the U. S. army, is smuggled into camp by the
fruit traders in Florida, very ingeniously, by
emptying cocoa nuts of their milk, and filling
them with the liquor, then sealing the eye of
(the nut with pitch.
LOVE OF NATIVE LAND.
Perhaps there is no feelings which clings
the human heart with more tenacity, whirh
steals upon the memory with a more geml!
and irresistible influence, thau the love or -
tachment of every human being to the p| a ,. e J.
nativity—the sceues of early childhood—tU
fireside of boyish years, and the haunts,;
early footsteps. Tlie feeling is not only one
of the stongest of our nature, but it is one of
the most laudable. Tlie pleasures of youth
are more unalloyed and really felicitous titan
those of any other period of existence. They
are less mingled with the hopes and fears of
this working-day world—are purer, more sin
less, and have in them less of earthly alloy
Hence, it is, the recollection of those pleasures
and the scenes and beings who mingled with
and formed as it were a portion of them, comes
over the mind in later jears, and renders
everything with which tliev were associated
dearer, far dearer, than the subsequent events
of manhood, the desires of ambition, or the
pursuit of wealth. It is not that the country
of birth, if revisited in after life, would possess
new charms or extraordinary advantages, as
contrasted with many other sections of the
globe.—'l’he associations of youth and ihe
many reminiscences of early time, when the
heart was pure*, the imagination more elastic
and the path before us verdant with the fertile
promise of hope—these from the Eden to
which we look back with such pleasure, and
because they cannot be renewed, is their value
increased and their memory held the dearer
That heart must be cold and dead to all the
noblest impulses of our nature, which can hear
the name and the associations of native land
spoken of with derision and contempt, or
which will yield with other feelings than those
of hesitation and reluctance, to a preference
of any other clime—the institutions and form
of government not being superior. No one
however, can adequately appreciate the de
lights of home, and the thousand nameless
memories that claster around the parent thres.
hold, where we heard the sweet voices of those
first loved—
‘The mother’s gentle tones, oi sister’s joyous
laugh’—unless they have journeyed in a for.
eign dime beyond the seas, and felt in some
hour of sickness and of gloom—
7/ow lonily is the w orld,
When none we love are nigh.’
It is at such periods that the full tide of
memory rushes sadly, yet sweetly, o’er the
heart, and we feel in all the depths of thought
and of soul, that ‘poor human nature’ left to its
own resources, and depending solely upon its
own powers and exertions, possesses few of the
elements of a boasted philosophy and still
fewer of those springs of happiness which are
by the misanthrope supposed to exist, without
the ties of consanguinity, the bonds of friend,
ship, and all those noble attributes of mind and
of heart, that shed so powerful and so endur
ing an influence over the entire social family
of man. In the eloquent language of the Bal
timore American, whose brief paragraph upon
the subject has elicited our own hasty specula,
tions—*.so much value do we attach to love of
country, that we always feel distrustful of a
man who pretends not to have more attach
ment to his native land than to any other.
M uch has been said of being a citizen of the
world, and loving all men alike, but the love is
not worth having which does not distinguish
Iretween scenes of out childhood and the com
paratively uninteresting localities of a foreign
shore. Show us the person whose heart
warms and eyes glisten at the bare mention of
tlie name of home, and we will point out to you
a good citizen, in whatever part of the world
his lot may be cast. It is by souls that are
capable of recognising the charms of early as
sociations, that the blessings of Providence are
duly appreciated, whatever men may say of
the dispositions that know no difference be
tween the ‘bleezing ingle and clean hearth
stane of a father’s roof.’ and the heartless
greeting that exists in the land of strangers.
The Swiss mountaineer dies of longing for his
native land, and at the same time will shed his
heart’s blood for those w hom he may serve
under a foreign sun. The same fidelity that
marks his love for his native mountains, will
characterize his devotion to the land of his
adoption.’ Phil. Enquirer.
THE OLD SNAKE.
The Courier Francais informs that the Afri
can Boa kept in the Champs Elysees at Paris,
has laid thirty two eggs, from which a brood
of young have been since hatched. Some of
them were strapping little urchins of a dozen
feet in length, and considerably more than a
foot in circumference. The forward little pets
burst the shell tout a coup, and went to wrig
gling and capering about their mother with
great liveliness. The others yet remain in
side the eggs, occasionally peeping out and
darting forth their tongues will all the pretty
playfulness of snaky innocence. It is expec
ted they will be able to munch young spar
rows in a week or two. This brood ot young
serpents appears to be the first incubation of
reptiles of this magnitude that has taken place
in Europe.
“lot’s wife.”
Mr. Colman, in his agricultural address last
week, illustrated the folly of modern fashiona
ble female education, hv an anecdote. A
young man who had fora long while remained
in that useless state, designated by ‘a half pair
of scissors,’ at last seriously determined he
would procure him a wife. He got the ‘re
fusal’ of one who was beautiful, and fashiona
bly accomplished, and took her upon trial to
his home. Soon learning that she knew noth
ing how to darn a stocking, or boil a potatoes
or roast a bit of beef, lie icturned her to her
father’s house, as having been weighed in the
balance and found wanting. A suit was com
menced by the good lady, but the husband
alleged that she was not ‘up to the sample,’
and of course the obligation to retain the com
modity was not binding. The jury inflicted a
fine of a few dollars, but he would have given
a fortune rather than not to be liberated from
such an irksome engagement. ‘As well might
the farther have the original Venus de Medi.
cus placed in his kitchen,’ said the orator, ‘as
some of the modern fashionable won en. ‘ln
deed,’ continued he, ‘it would be much better
to have Lot’s wife standing there, for she
might answer one useful purpose —she might
salt his bacon /’