_Weight of Great Characters_--Weighed at the Scales at West Point,
August 19, 1783.
_lbs._
General Washington, 209
General Lincoln, 224
General Knox, 280
General Huntington, 132
General Greaton, 166
Colonel Swift, 219
Colonel Michael Jackson, 252
Colonel Henry Jackson, 238
Lieut. Colonel Huntington, 232
Lieut. Colonel Cobb, 186
Lieut. Colonel Humphreys, 221
The above memorandum was found in the pocket book of a deceased
officer of the Massachusetts line.
Curiosity respecting the form, physiognomy and stature of eminent
men is universal; biographers usually attempt to gratify their
readers by detailing all such minute circumstances; yet who knows
the weight of general Bonaparte, or the duke of Wellington? Those
who read their biography would be gratified to know the cubic inches
and exact dimensions of the clay tenements occupied by such martial
spirits.
The average weight of these 11 distinguished revolutionary officers,
is 214 lbs. and exceeds, we think, that of an equal number of any
other nation.
[_Salem Gaz._
_Benevolence the source of delight._--BENEVOLUS, who was uncommonly
fond of music, was dressing to go to an opera, which was much
admired, when he heard a murmuring of voices in the passage below
his chambers; on inquiry, he was told that it was occasioned by a
workman who had dropped half a guinea that he had just received for
his week's wages, which could not be found; and on which his own
maintenance and that of his wife and child depended. It immediately
struck Benevolus that he could afford to give the man the half
guinea by staying from the opera that night. He accordingly sent him
the money and staid at home.
On another occasion, Benevolus having been prevailed on to promise
to dine at a tavern with some young men, of whose company he was
fond, was solicited for charity at the tavern door by a woman with
an infant suckling at each of her breasts, and two half-naked
children following her.--"For heaven's sake, a penny," said the
poor woman, "to purchase some bread." "We are very hungry," cried
the children. Benevolus, thrusting his hand in his pocket, found he
had just a guinea, and no other money of any kind. "Good heaven!"
thought he, "I am going to throw away the greatest part of this
for a dinner, and it will maintain this poor woman and children a
fortnight!"--He slipped the guinea into the poor woman's hand, and,
returning directly to his chamber, sent an apology to the company,
and dined with more delight on a mutton-chop than he had ever
experienced from the most luxurious dinner.
[_Moore_.
_Home._--The great end of prudence, Dr. Johnson says, is to give
cheerfulness to those hours which splendour cannot gild, and
acclamation cannot exhilarate. Those soft intervals of unbended
amusement, in which a man shrinks to his natural dimensions, and
throws aside the ornaments and disguises which he feels in privacy
to be useless incumbrances, and to lose all effect when they become
familiar. To be happy at _home_, is the ultimate result of all
ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labour tends, and
of which every design prompts the prosecution. It is, indeed, at
home, that every man must be known, by those who would make a just
estimate either of his virtue or felicity; for smiles and embroidery
are alike occasional, and the mind is often dressed for show in
painted honour and fictitious benevolence.
There is something undoubtedly venerable in antiquity, but even this
passion may be carried beyond its proper bounds. An old gentleman
was once possessed of a jack-knife, which he declared he would not
sell for twenty dollars. It was once, said he, the property of my
great grandfather--and since I have been the owner of the knife, it
has been repaired with four blades and two handles.
_The Emperor of Morocco._--The following anecdote serves to show the
_high wisdom_ of the Emperor of Morocco:--A Jew had ordered a French
merchant to furnish him with a considerable quantity of black beaver
hats, green shawls, and red silk stockings. When the articles were
ready for delivery, the Jew refused to receive them. Being brought
before the emperor, who, it is well known, administers justice
himself, he denied having given the order, and maintained that he
did not know the French merchant. "Have you any witnesses?" said
the emperor to the Frenchman. "No." "So much the worse for you; you
should have taken care to have had witnesses--you may retire." The
poor merchant, completely ruined, returned home in despair. He was,
however, soon alarmed by a noise in the street; he ran to see what
it was. A numerous multitude were following one of the emperor's
officers, who was making the following proclamation at all the cross
roads: "Every Jew, who within 24 hours after this proclamation,
shall be found in the streets without a black beaver hat on his
head, a green shawl round his neck, and red silk stockings on his
legs, shall be immediately seized, and conveyed to the first Court
or Palace, to be there flogged to death." The children of Israel all
thronged to the French merchant, and before evening the articles
were all purchased at any price he chose to demand for them.
_A knave outwitted._--A man lately came into a merchant's store in
Newbern, N. C. and told the merchant he owed him five dollars for
goods he lately had of him. The merchant being a correct man in
his business, finding no charge against him on book, and knowing
also that he never gave credit to strangers, told the honest man he
must be mistaken; but he insisted he was not, and paid the money.
A few days afterwards he called again and wanted credit for goods
to the amount of about $30, which the merchant declined letting him
have. The man pretended to be surprised that he, who had shown such
honesty in paying a debt, which the merchant had forgotten, should
be refused a further credit; but says the merchant, if I have been
foolish enough, for once to trust a stranger, I shall not be such a
fool again.
_Mineralogy._--The science of mineralogy is at present pursued with
uncommon assiduity in England.--The elementary treatises on the
subject, as published there, are numerous, but lately Mr. Philips
published a second edition of a Manual of Mineralogy, of which in 9
months he sold 900 copies. In Paris there are four lectures on the
subject, and last year the only four students who were foreigners,
were all from Pennsylvania--these were the young Messrs. Gallatin,
Seybert, Keating, and Vancexin. The science seems to be highly
deserving of encouragement here, as it has become reduced to such
general rules as enables the mineralist or geologist to ascertain
with tolerable certainty what substances are, and what are not
to be found in the bowels of different parts of the earth, by
inspection of its surface, as well as to ascertain by sight, or by
analysis, their nature, composition, properties, and uses.
_Cave in Virginia_.--Of _Wier's Cave_ in Virginia, general C.
Jones, of that state, has lately given a description, of which
the following is a summary. The cave is of limestone, generally
descending in its course. The entrance, about 4 feet square, brings
you first into a room 12 or 15 feet high; you then creep along
a narrow passage into another room--then, descending a ladder,
you enter _Solomon's temple_, in which is a large fluted column,
called _Solomon's pillar_, and on the sides curtains descend from
the ceiling to the floor, the room about 25 feet high; ascending
a ladder, you pass a steep narrow rock, and then descend into the
_curtain room_, profusely ornamented with drapery, having more of
the appearance of art than of chance, the curtains hanging from
6 to 12 inches apart, and mostly white and transparent:--next is
the _music room_, abounding with stalactites similar to those
forming the curtains just mentioned, but of firm texture, on which
enchanting music can be made, when struck with a skilful hand:--You
next descend a natural staircase, with something like balusters on
one side, and then, down a ladder, into the _ballroom_, 100 feet
long, and from 16 to 20 high, the floor smooth, the sides ornamented
with curtains, and in which there is a sofa, remarkable for its
resemblance to the reality. You next encounter a long difficult
narrow passage, creeping and sliding part of the way, and then,
descending some steps, you enter the _vestibule_, the arch about
25 feet high, in which is a saloon, and Mary's gallery, the latter
formed of a horizontal sheet of rock, a foot thick, and 20 in
diameter:--You then enter _Washington-Hall_, the grandest part of
the cavern, the floor of which is level, and rings to the tread,
the arch above 80 feet high, and on one side is something like a
a row of marble statuary:--The next is _Lady Washington's drawing
room_, a handsome large apartment, with something like a bureau in
it, on which are inscribed a number of names:--The _diamond room_
is next, its walls sparkling with brilliants; then the _enchanted
room_, in which is a basin containing about two hogsheads of pure
water, and a column, about 25 feet in diameter, called the tower
of Babel; and the last is the _Garden of Eden_. This is a spacious
apartment, in which a rock seems to be floating over head, called
Elijah's mantle, and a large white curtain, and a rock called the
salt mountain, are seen at a distance. The general, and the party
with him, were two hours and three quarters before they regained the
mouth of the cavern.
_Missouri._--The Missouri Convention, having completed its labours
in the formation of a constitution for that state, have designated
St. Louis as the seat of government for the state until 1827, when
it is to be permanently established on the Missouri, at or near the
mouth of the Osage, which place is to be called Missouriopolis, the
former part of the name being Indian, and the latter Grecian.
_Iron Rail or Carriage-ways._--In the neighbourhood of Newcastle,
this ingenious mode of reducing friction, and facilitating the
conveyance of loaded wagons, has been adopted to a very great
extent. According to M. Gallois, an extent of 28 square miles on
the surface of the earth, presents a series of 75 miles for this
species of conveyance; while the interior of the adjacent coal
mines contains them to as large an amount. Five or six wagons, made
entirely of iron, fastened to each other in regular succession,
descend these roads without any other mover than their own
gravitating force. By means of a pulley, or wheel, a certain number
of carriages in descending occasion a certain number of others to
mount, in order to take in a load at the summit of the inclined
plane they traverse. We are, however, naturally led to believe
that, excepting in very peculiar circumstances, there will always
be a great saving of power in conveyances by water, for this simple
reason, that the whole weight of the burden so transported, is
transported by the stream with a comparatively small loss of power
by friction, while the inclined plane, on which the carriage runs,
supports only a part of its weight. On the other hand, however, it
cannot be denied that many situations in which it would be quite
impossible to open a canal, might admit of the establishment of
metallic and other rail-ways.
_Varnish for Wood._--The Italian cabinet work, in this respect,
excels that of any other country. To produce this effect, the
workmen first saturate the surface with olive oil, and then apply a
solution of gum arabic in boiling alcohol. This mode of varnishing
is equally brilliant, if not superiour, to that employed by the
French in their most elaborate works.
_American Saltpetre._--A Boston paper says--"We have seen a
quantity of Saltpetre refined and chrystallized at the Gunpowder
Manufactory of Chelmsford, which, for whiteness and clearness, was
much superiour to that of foreign preparations, with which it was
compared; and we understand it can be afforded at a less price. The
chrystallization of the American articles is uncommonly handsome,
and will gratify the attention of any who may view it."
_The Horse._--J. Carver, Veterinary Surgeon, has written a letter to
the editor of the Plough Boy, wherein he stated he had been applied
to by a gentleman to cut the Lampas out of his horse's mouth, but
that he had declined on the ground that there was no necessity for
such an operation; and that the disorder could be cured in the
following simple manner:--"Rub the upper part of the roof of the
mouth, which you find on those occasions red and swollen, with
coarse salt, three or four times a day--throw in his manger also a
few ears of the hardest corn; and thus, a few days would totally
remedy the evil."
Mr. Carver expresses some astonishment that persons "should fall
into the ridiculous and absurd belief, that horses are subject
to that imaginary disease called Lampas. Because, examining the
palate or roof of the mouth would be quite sufficient to convince a
judicious investigator, that the supposed enlargement cannot deprive
the animal of his food; since it is not in the least sore, nor shows
any signs of sensibility on pressure."
He states that the error proceeds from a want of the knowledge
of the animal, and the obstinacy and ignorance of stabularian
philosophers; that the operation of "_cutting and burning_ the
palate with a red hot iron, not only prevents the animal from eating
his food for some weeks, but is frequently attended with the most
serious consequences by opening the palatine artery, which has bled
many a horse to death for want of proper assistance."
Mr. Carver advises gentlemen never to suffer the operation to be
performed, but if the parts are very red and very much swollen, they
may be just scarified with the point of a sharp penknife, or pricked
with a large darning needle. He concludes with saying, "that the
cutting and raising the frog from the ground to keep the foot in
health--the cutting out the haw of the eye, to cure inflammation and
lockjaw--and the operation of burning for Lampas, can by no means be
reconciled to common sense."
_Internal Wealth._--A correspondent informs us, that he passed, in
Danvers, on Wednesday last, a wagon road of merino wool, weighing
three tons, drawn by seven horses, passing from Hanover, N. H.
(where it was produced,) to the Factory at Danvers--the value of
which was probably from four to six thousand dollars.
[_Newburyport paper._
_Camels._--Two full grown camels, one eight and the other nine years
old, have arrived at Boston from the coast of Morocco.
_Paintings._--The paintings by the old masters, which belonged to
the late Mr. West, have been sold at public vendue in London. The
whole produced 10,027_l._ The Death of Actæon, by Titian, brought
1700 guineas--a Head of Christ, by Guido, 700--Abraham entertaining
the Angels, by Rembrandt, 7 by 9 inches, 200--the Bath of Diana, by
Titian, 610--a Forest Scene, by Rembrandt, 200--the Last Supper, by
Titian, 435--the Virgin Child, and St. John and Mary Magdalen, by
Parmagiano, 350--the Watering Place, by Wouvremans, 560--Peasants
with Cattle, by A. Berchem, 450--View on a River, by Hobbima, 290--a
Knight in full Armour, by Giorgione, 140--View of a Village, by
Gasper Toussin, 210--a Dead Hare, and other Game, Spaniel, &c., by
Wfenix, 165--Minerva, with her Ægis, &c., by Reubens, 155--Christ
betrayed, by Teniers, 126--and many others, at proportionate prices.
_New Hampshire State Prison._--The income of this penitentiary,
for the last year, has been derived from the usual sources, the
labour of convicts in its various departments, the sale of articles
manufactured by them, and the fees of admittance to visiters--the
whole amounts to $4660 81 cts. The expenditures during the same
period, amount to $4203 53 cts. leaving a balance gained to the
institution during the last year of $457.28. The amount of property
on hand has also increased $1811.41; and the balance of debts due,
$743.14; making the whole income $2553.55; from which deducting
the amount received from the treasury, leaves a balance further
gained of $454.55. In the amount of debts due is included $3637.03,
charged to the state house committee, for labour of the convicts in
preparing stone, &c. for that building; which, if paid over to the
state prison, would reduce the sum required from the treasury to
meet the estimated expenses of the present year to $963.
_Anecdote of Lycurgus._--Lycurgus, the Spartan lawgiver, to show
his countrymen the vast importance of education, by reason of its
influence in forming the minds and manners of a people, caused
two whelps of the same litter to be bred in quite different ways;
whereby the one became sluggish and ravenous, the other of a good
scent, and skilled in hunting. Finding the experiment to answer his
design, he soon took an occasion at an assembly of the Lacedemonians
to discourse on this subject, and address them in the following
manner:
"It is of great advantage, fellow citizens, to the acquirement
of virtue, when any one is trained up in the customary practice
of wholesome instructions, and precept, which I will presently
let you see by example."--On this, he ordered the young dogs to
be brought into the midst of the hall, where was set before them
a vessel, in which meat had been frequently boiled, and a _live
hare_.--Whereupon, according to their different breeding, one flew
to the hare, and the other as greedily ran to the vessel.
The spectators were surprised: and, as they were musing what should
be the intent of his introducing the whelps after this manner, he
said to them, "This is what I before told you; you perceive these
creatures do as they were taught, for, though they are both of a
litter, yet the diversity of breeding has made one a good hound, and
the other a cur, good for nothing but to lick pots and dishes."