have just been published, we find the following passage, which shows
how little a woman used to the coteries of Paris can appreciate
the purest of our Christian charities.--"The most elegant women
in London have a certain day, upon which they go to a large room
surrounded with counters, at the end of Argyle Street; they go in
person, to sell, for the profit of the poor, the trifles, which they
amuse themselves in making during the course of the year. You may
imagine that a young gentleman who pays his court to a young lady,
is not permitted to hesitate at the price of the work of her fair
hands. In fact, I saw several who were really foolishly extravagant,
and the bank-notes were showered down on the counters of these
ladies.
"I observed in this assembly the prettiest young women I ever saw in
my life; all the men loiter delighted before her counter, and it was
she whose stock was the soonest disposed of.
The last man who stopped at it took a handful of bank-notes, and
exchanged them for a watch-ribbon. I departed, enchanted with this
scene."
_Chimnies._--In the age next preceding Queen Elizabeth, there were
few chimnies, even in capital towns: the fire was laid to the wall,
and the smoke issued at the roof, or door, or window. The houses
were wattled, and plastered over with clay; and all the furniture
and utensils were of wood. The people slept on straw pallets, with a
log of wood for a pillow.
"_The wisdom of Catwg_--The seven questions proposed by Catwg the
wise to seven wise men in his college at Llanfeithin, with their
answers.
"1. What constitutes supreme goodness in a man? Equity.
"2 What shews transcendent wisdom in a man? To refrain from injuring
another when he has the ability.
"3. What is the most headstrong vice in a man? Incontinence.
"4. Who is the poorest man? He who has not resolution to take of his
own.
"5. Who is the richest man? He who coveteth nothing belonging to
another.
"6. What is the fairest quality in a man? Sincerity.
"7. What is the greatest folly in a man? The wish to injure another
without having the power to effect it."
_Antediluvian oak._--In digging the capacious drain in Bilsby
parish, connected with the new work of sewers near Alford, at the
depth of thirty feet some oak trees have been found, which are at
this time the subject of examination by the curious. They are as
black as ebony, but the heart is firm wood, notwithstanding the
trees are believed to have been deposited for several thousand
years. The conjecture formed by those best qualified for considering
the subject of similar discoveries in other situations is, that they
existed before Noah's flood.
_Nugæ Antiquæ._--From a household book of the Earl of Northumberland
in the reign of Henry VIII. it appears, that his family, during
winter, fed mostly on salt fish and salt meat, and with that view
there was an appointment of 160 gallons of mustard. The Earl had two
cooks, and more than 200 domestics.
Holinshed says, that merchants, when they gave a feast, rejected
butchers' meat as unworthy of their table: having jellies of all
colours, and in all figures, representing flowers, trees, beasts,
fish, fowl and fruit.
The streets of Paris, not being paved, was covered with mud; and yet
for a woman to travel those streets in a cart was held an article
of luxury, and prohibited by Philip the Fair.
An old tenure in England binds the vassal to find straw for the
King's bed, and hay for his horse.
It was a luxurious change of wood platters for pewter plates, and
from wooden spoons to those of tin.
Holinshed says, "when our houses were built of willow, then had we
oaken men? but now that our houses are made of oak, our men are not
only become willow but, many, through Persian delicacy, crept in
among us, altogether of straw, which is a sore alteration."
_Reproof._--A person was remonstrating with a friend, inclined
too much to dandyism, on the absurdity of following such foppish
fashions. "They are really contemptible, (said he,) and I am sure
all who see you must think you ridiculous." "I don't value the
opinion of the world, (answered he,) I laugh at all those who think
me ridiculous." "Then you can never give over laughing," drily
observed his mentor.
_Anecdote._--When the English Court interfered in favour of the
protestant subjects of Louis XIV. and requested his majesty to
release some who had been sent to the gallies, the king asked
angrily, "What would the king of Great Britain say were I to demand
the prisoners of Newgate from him?" Sir, (replied the ambassador,)
my master would give every one of them up to your majesty, if, as we
do, _you reclaim them as brothers_.
If you think this little anecdote worth a place in the _Rural
Magazine_, you may be assured of its authenticity.
A. B.
"A guilty conscience needs no accuser."
A singular instance of the truth of this saying occurred a few days
ago, in Market Street. A sharper, under pretence of buying some
small article in a store, managed to take from a countryman present,
his pocket book, and having secured, as he supposed, his booty,
paid his little bill and retired. The honest storekeeper discovering
he had given him too little change, immediately went to the door and
called him to stop. The fellow supposing himself detected, took, to
his heels. The croud in the street observing the circumstances cried
stop thief! stop thief! He was soon overtaken and brought back, when
the pocket book, which had not been missed by the owner, was found
on him, and he taken before the proper authority.
Communicated for the Rural Magazine.
_A Newly discovered, cheap and durable Paint._
I send you for publication in the Rural Magazine, a receipt for a
newly discovered paint, it is cheap and will no doubt be useful to
some of your readers.
D.
To a common 3 gallon pail of whitewash, add 1 pint of cheap
molasses and 1 pint of white table salt. The best store lime
should be selected and boiling water used in slaking it. It should
be frequently stirred as you put it on. Two thin coats will be
sufficient to cover the weatherboards of out-buildings. It will not
wash or scale off like common whitewash and is beautifully white.
For other colours mix ochres of various kinds.
_Air Jacket._--Mr. Charles Kendal lately made an experiment on the
Thames, of the efficacy of his jacket, or Life-preserver, which
completely succeeded. He went from the southwark Bridge through
London Bridge with great ease and on to the London Docks in 20
minutes, walking upright in the water accompanied by his man all the
way.
_A new and cheap conductor of lightning and fluid._--Mr. Capostolle,
Professor of Chemistry in the departments of the Somme, affirms
that a rope of straw supplies the place of the expensive metal
conductors. The experiments, which he has made in the presence of
many learned men and which have been repeated by them, confirms as
he says that the lightning enters a rope of straw placed in its
way and passes through it into the ground so gently that the hand
of a person holding the rope at the time does not perceive it. Mr.
Capostolle brings the following proof of this assertion. It is
well known says he that a severe shock is received by a person who
immediately touches the Leyden vial. But if a person takes a rope of
straw, only seven or eight inches long, in his hand, and touches,
with the end of this rope a Leyden vial, so strongly charged that
an ox might be killed by it, he will neither see a spark, or feel
the slightest shock. According to Mr. Capostolle's opinion, such
conductor made of straw, which would not cost alone three francs,
would be able to protect an extent of sixty acres of ground from
hail; and if the houses and fields were protected in this manner,
neither hail nor lightning could do any damage to them.
_Economy of Nature._--In the sunshine vegetables decompose the
_carbonic acid gas_ of the atmosphere, the _carbon_ of which is
absorbed, and becomes a part of their organized matter, but the
_oxygen gas_, the other constituent is given off; thus the economy
of vegetation is made subservient to the general order of the system
of nature. Again, _Carbonic acid gas_ is formed in the respiration
of animals, and as yet no process is known in nature by which it can
be consumed, except vegetation. Animals thus produce a substance
which appears to be a necessary food for vegetables;--vegetables
evolve a principle necessary to the existence of animals: the two
kingdoms seem to be thus connected together in the exercise of their
functions, and, to a certain extent, made to depend upon each other
for their existence.
_Legible Writing._--The Grand Duke of Baden has issued an ordinance,
enjoining all public functionaries in his dominions, who sign their
names in an illegible manner, through _affectation_, to write them
in future so that they can be read, under the pain of having any
document illegibly signed, thrown back on their hands.
While Mr. Samuel Chandler was boring for salt near Zanesville,
Ohio, he found a metallic substance six feet three inches thick,
which being analysed, was found to be silver, nearly as pure as
the common coin. This singular account is attested in the National
Intelligencer by a member of Congress.
_Square Mile._--It may be thought wonderful that the whole
population of this country could stand on considerably less than
a square mile. Allowing six men to a square yard, the mile would
accommodate _eighteen millions five hundred and eighty five thousand
six hundred men!_
_Latitude of Trees in Sweden._--From the researches made in Sweden
on the different kinds of wood indigenous to the country, it has
been ascertained that the birch reaches the farthest north, growing
beyond the 70th degree; the pine reaches to the 69th; the fir tree
to the 68th; the ozier, willow, aspen and quince, to the 66th; the
cherry and apple tree to the 63d; the oak to the 60th; and the beech
to the 57th; while the lime tree, ash, elm, poplar and walnut, are
only to be found in Scavia.
[_Lond. Journ. of Science._
_Singular Anecdote of the Spider, by Capt. Bagnold._--Desirous of
ascertaining the natural food of the scorpion, I enclosed one (which
measured three fourths of an inch from the head to the insertion
of the tail) in a wide mouthed phial, together with one of those
large spiders so common in the West Indies, and closed it with a
cork, perforated by a quill, for the admission of air: the insects
seemed carefully to avoid each other, retiring to opposite ends of
the bottle, which was placed horizontally. By giving it a gradual
inclination, the scorpion was forced into contact with the spider,
when a sharp encounter took place, the latter receiving repeated
stings from his venomous adversary, apparently without the least
injury, and with his web, soon lashed the scorpion's tail to his
back, subsequently securing his legs and claws with the materials.
In this state I left them some time, in order to observe what effect
would be produced on the spider by the wounds he had received. On
my return, however, I was disappointed, the ants having entered and
destroyed them both.
[_Ibid._
_Spontaneous Combustion._--_From the Baltimore Morning
Chronicle._--At my mills there was an iron kettle used for holding
ashes--it had remained with ashes in from the 5th to the 9th month
at which time flaxseed oil was by accident spilled into the ashes;
in about 24 hours the ashes were found to be on fire, and wishing to
have it fully ascertained, whether it was the oil which occasioned
the ashes to take fire, I filled a kettle with cold dry ashes, in
which I poured a pint of flaxseed oil, and in 24 hours I examined
it, and found that, as far as the oil had penetrated the ashes were
in a state of combustion, and, applying some shavings and chips of
wood, it immediately caused them to blaze.
From an apprehension that many buildings have been consumed by fires
from the foregoing cause, I have been induced to give publicity to
the fact.
JOSEPH ATKINSON.
_Ellicot Patapsco Mills_, }
_1 mo. 22d. 1820._ }
_Spontaneous Combustion._--SIR I observe, in your paper of yesterday
that your correspondent _Davyana_ has made an _unsuccessful_
experiment, to verify the account given by Mr. Atkinson of a
_Spontaneous Combustion_, produced some time ago, at his mills near
Baltimore, by the accidental mixture of linseed oil and wood ashes.
An experiment has also been made, with a similar view, at the _Mint_
of the United States. The ashes employed were chiefly from hickery
wood, well sifted, and cold; and the quantity of linseed oil, one
pint. No change of temperature was perceived, till about 46 hours
after the oil had been poured on the ashes, when the mixture was
fairly ignited, and in a short time emitted flame, which continued
upwards of an hour. After the flame had ceased, the ignition
continued for about 18 hours, and the ashes were then poured out of
the vessel.
R. P.
[_Poulson's Am. Daily Adv._
_Gas lights._--The number of gas lights already in use in the
metropolis of London amounts to upwards of 51,000. The total length
of mains in the streets through which the gas is conveyed from the
gas light manufactories into the houses now measure 288 miles.
_Seed Potatoes._--It has been recently ascertained from the most
decisive experiments, that late potatoes, or such as are not ripe,
were the best seed, and that planting such restores a degenerated
variety to its original qualities. The discoverer of this fact
recommends the planting of seed from cold and late situations,
and to plant so late as June and July, taking up those unripe,
and preserving them as seed for the following year.
[_Vermont Intelligencer._.
_London._--The consumption of sheep and lambs in London, during the
last twelve months, amounted in number to one million, sixty-two
thousand, seven hundred. The number of horned cattle slaughtered,
was one hundred and sixty-four thousand--and by the inspector's
return, it appears, that the number of horse hides produced at
Leadenhall market, amounted to twelve thousand nine hundred.
BORING _legalized_.--Last week we mentioned that a silver mine was
said to have been discovered near Zanesville, in Ohio. By the last
Columbus papers we are informed that the bill incorporating the
"Muskingum Silver Mining Company" has passed the legislature.
It is said that the rock about twenty feet below the surface of
the earth, extends under nearly the whole territory of Ohio; that
the silver was found after penetrating the rock about 100 feet;
and that, therefore, there is an even chance that this stratum of
silver, near 7 feet in thickness, is as extensive as the state.
Verily, should this prove to be the case, what an alteration would
it make in our affairs! Neighbouring states would supply Ohio
with corn and whiskey--her keen speculators would become lazy
nabobs--Yankee pedlars might venture to drive their trade there,
without danger of being _bitten_--her rag banks, notwithstanding
all that has been said to the contrary, would prove to have had at
all times, a _specie foundation_: and Owl Creek and Cincinnati bank
notes command a premium over eastern funds.
Capt. SYMMES has long expressed great anxiety _to get into the
earth_, and, as it is a long journey to the north pole, (where there
is certainly a hole big enough for Capt. Symmes to get in) and
the Captain says he cannot undertake the journey for the want of
"disposable means,"--now, therefore, this may be entirely a manoevre
of the captain's, or of his friends, to get a cheap passage into
the earth, whereby he may embark near home, and without expense
in the outfit. At any rate, we hope the company will persevere in
_boring_--it is a good subject--for should they either find silver
or provide a passage for Capt. Symmes, they will silence the hungry
complaints of many speculators--both in real estate and in the
learned and fashionable _ologies_ of the day. [_Detroit Gazette._
STATE OF MISSOURI.
_Boundaries._--Beginning in the middle of the Mississippi river,
on the parallel of 36° N. lat.--thence west to the St. Francois
river--thence up the middle of the St. Francois, to 36° 30' N.
lat.--thence west till it intersects a meridian line, passing
through the middle of the mouth of the Kansas river, where it
empties into the Missouri--thence, from said point of intersection,
due north to the intersection of the parallel of latitude which
passes through the Rapids of the river Des Moines, (making this
line correspond with the Indian boundary)--thence east from the
point of intersection last mentioned, to the middle of the main
fork of the Des Moines--thence down the middle of that river to
the Mississippi--thence, down the middle of the Mississippi to the
beginning.
By the 8th section of the law authorising the people of Missouri to
form a state government, slavery is for ever prohibited in all the
territories of the United States, west of the Mississippi, north of
36° 30' except so much as is included in Missouri.
The Convention to form the constitution is to consist of 40
representatives, from the respective counties, as follows: Howard 5,
Cooper 3, Montgomery 2, Pike 1, Lincoln 1, St. Charles 3, Franklin
1, St. Louis 8, Jefferson 1, Washington 3, St. Genevieve 4, Madison
1, Cape Girardeau 5, New Madrid 2, Wayne and Lawrence 1.
_Red Snow._--Mr. Francis Bauer from a number of accurate
observations, with microscopes of great power on the Red Snow, in a
melted state, from Baffin's Bay pronounces the colouring matter to
be a new species of uredo (a minute fungus) to which he proposes to
give the name nivalis.
_Lapland._--The greatest water-fall in Europe has been recently
discovered in Lapland. It is on the river Latting; it is half a
mile broad, and falls in a perpendicular descent of _four hundred
feet_.
_Portugal._--The weather has been so severe at Lisbon, that in
one night, thirty-five fishermen and three sentinels were frozen
to death. The ice formed three inches thick in one night, a
circumstance unprecedented at that place.
_Russia._--It has been so cold in Russia, the past season, that all
the public places of amusement had been closed. The thermometer at
St. Petersburg, stood at 35-1/2 below Zero.
The frost has been severe in France and England. At Paris on the
11th, the thermometer of the engineer Chevalier, stood at 11 below
0. The Seine was frozen over.
Petitions are getting up in Ireland, in favour of a dissolution of
the union with Great Britain!
It had been colder in the month of January in England, than was ever
known before in that country. In the city of London the thermometer
stood twenty-three degrees below the freezing point. At Islington,
the silver in the barometer on the 14th, was down into the bowl.
Upwards of 2,200,000 eggs were imported into England from France the
last three months.
_Extraordinary produce of a potato._--A single potato was cut into
eyes, and planted in the garden of C. Moore, esq. at Woodbridge,
Suffolk; and the produce was the surprising quantity of a bushel
skep without being heaped, and it weighed _64lbs._--The potatoes are
remarkably fine and clean.
BROWNSVILLE, (PENN.) MARCH 13.
_Accident._--On Thursday last, the chain bridge over Dunlap's creek,
between Brownsville and Bridgeport broke down with a wagon and
six horses upon it. The wagon fell on the bank, this side of the
stream, the horses in the water. The driver, who was on the saddle
horse, was pitched between the two middle horses, where he was held
entangled in the gears, until relieved by the citizens. He received
no material injury, but two of the horses were killed. The team,
we understand, was the property of a person named Hackney, near
Winchester, (Va.) The distance from the floor of this bridge to the
surface of the water, must have been at least 30 feet.
_Leeches._--The Montrose (English) Review of January 1st, states
that a gentleman examining two bottles containing 3 leeches each,
found the water a complete mass of ice, with the leeches frozen. He
dissolved the ice gradually before the fire, when he found the whole
6 alive, and very animated.
_Annual consumption of the necessaries of life in London._
Consumption of bullocks, 110,000
Sheep and lambs, 976,000
Calves, 250,000
Hogs, 210,000
Sucking pigs, 60,000
Gallons of milk--the produce
of 8900 cows, 908,000
Quarters of wheat, 900,000
Chaldrons of coal, 800,000
Barrels (36 galls.) of ale
and porter 1,775,500
Gallons of spirituous liquors, 11,146,783
Pipes of wines, 65,000
Pounds of butter, 27,600,000
Cheese, 25,000,000
Acres of land cultivated
in the vicinity of London
for vegetables, 10,000
Ditto for fruit, 4,000
The sum paid annually
for vegetables amounts
to, _l._645,000
Abstract of the exports of cotton and tobacco from New Orleans from
the 1st of October, 1818, until the 31st of the same month, 1819.
_Cotton._
England 48,840 bales.
France 29,989
Holland 1,998
Coastwise 15,710
______
Total 95,537 bales.
_Tobacco._
England 10,122 hhds.
France 4,865
Holland and Germany, 7,632
Coastwise 13,048
______
Total 85,667 hhds.
_Fall of rain._--An account of the water that fell in rain and snow,
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, from 1812 to 1819, inclusive, and the
number of days, in each year, in which there was falling weather.
1819.
_Years._ _Inches._ _Days._ _Months._ _Inches._ _Days._
1812, 33-4/8 69 January, 1/8 1
1813, 40-1/8 75 Feb'ry, 2-5/8 6
1814, 52-2/8 74 March, 2-6/8 8
1815, 37-7/8 57 April, 2-1/8 5
1816, 30-7/8 70 May, 3-1/8 8
1817, 40-6/8 77 June, 1 4
1818, 36-4/8 68 July, 4-3/8 9
August, 8-3/8 11
Sept. 1-4/8 4
October, 1 2
Nov. 1-2/8 3
Dec. 2-2/8 5
______ __
31-4/8 66
_London Breweries._--The Breweries of London, (says a late traveller
over the British Island,) "may justly be ranked amongst its greatest
curiosities, and the establishment of Messrs. Barclay &. Co. is
one of the most considerable. A steam engine, of the power of 30
horses, does the greatest part of the work; for although there are
nearly two hundred men employed, and a great number of horses,
these are mostly for the out-door work; the interior appears quite
solitary. Large rakes with chains moved by an invisible power,
stir to the very bottom the immense mass of malt in boilers 12
feet deep; elevators which nobody touches, carry up to the summit
of the building 2500 bushels of malt a day, thence distributed
through wooden channels to the different places where the process
is carried on.--Casks of truly gigantic sizes are ready to receive
the liquors. One of them contains 3000 barrels. Now, at 8 barrels
to a ton, this is equal to a ship of 375 tons. By the side of this
are other enormous vessels, the smallest of which, containing about
800 barrels, are worth when full 3000 pounds sterling each. All this
immense apparatus is so arranged that every part is accessible,
and the whole is contained under one roof. The stock of liquor
is estimated at 300,000 pounds; the barrels alone in which it is
carried about to customers cost 80,000 pounds; and the whole capital
is not less than half a million sterling; 250,000 barrels of beer
are sold annually, which would load a fleet of 150 merchantmen, of
the burden of 200 tons each. The building is incombustible--walls of
brick, and floors of iron.
_Africa._--Several attempts are now making to explore the interior
of this country, and a scheme for opening a grand commercial
intercourse with Tumbuctoo and Sudan, has been planned, which
promises success through the protection of the emperor of Morocco.