Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, July 24, 1841, Image 1

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    TERMS OF THE "AMEIUCAHV
HENRY B. MASSER,?
JOSEPH EI8ELY. SPuor.itxoiis.
. B. MAUSER, tidUor
orrict iir mibbst stbxst, hue mm.
THE AMERICAN" published svery Satur
day at TWO DOLLARS per annum to be
paid half yearly in advance. No paper diacontin
ued till all arrearage are paid.
No subscriptions received Tor a less period thin
ix MOHtns. All communicationa or letter on
business relating to the office, to insure attention,
tnuat be POST PAID.
SHJNBUJM AMEMCAN.
AND SHAMOKIN JOURNAL:
miCES OF ADVERTISING.
t square I insertion, . Jo 60
1 do 3 do . . 0 76
1 do 3 dj I 00
Every subsequent insertii n, o lit
Vr.rlv Advertisements. ( with the t rivilroa r
- j ' , - r "
alter. liiinl nrie rnlnmfl .25 1 half column. AIR
three squares, $12 ; two squares, f 0 ( one square,
ee tin. i . . i -I. .:jC - I . l.
f.i. r imoui we privilege ui aiiciauuu uuviai
discount will be made.
Absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of Republics, from which there is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism. Jevmbio-.
Advertisements left without directions ss to the
length of time the? are to be published, will b
continued until ordered out, and charged accord
By Blasser & Elsely.
Sunbury, Northumberland Co. Pa. Saturday, July 4, 1811.
Vol. lXo. XLIV.
ingly.
Cj-Sixleen lines make a square.
The following beautiful effusion taken from the
Southern Literary Messenger, for April, like all fhe
(iroductiona of Amklia, ia diatinguiahed for purity
tnd gentleness of thought, and a aweetnese of ex
pression almoat inimitable. It quiet melody its
Ireamlike and spiritual beauty and its tinea of be
witching tendemeaa come over the heart.
'Like aofieat music heard in sleep,"
r
"Like the low chant of the distant waves
Dy Spring's soft breathings stiried."
Musings.
BY AMELIA or LOUISVILLE, KESTl'CKT.
I wandered out one summer night
'Twas when my yeara were lew:
The breeze was ainging in tho light
And I waa ainging loo.
The moonlieama lay upon the hill
The shadows in the vale,
And here and there a leaking rill
Was luughing at the gale.
One fleecy cloud upon the air
Was all that met my eyes ;
It floated like an angel there
between me and the skies.
I clapped my hands and warhled wild
As here and there I flew;
for I was but a careless child,
And did as children dti.
The reaves came dancing o'er the sea
In bright and glittering Sands:
Like little children wild with glee,
They linked their dimple hands.
They linked their hands hut ere I caught
Their mingled drops of dew,
They kissed my feet as quick as thought,
Away the ripples flew.
The twilight hours like, birds flew by,
As lightly and aa free;
Ten thousand stars were in the sky,
Ten thousand in the sea ;
For every wave with dimpled cheek
That leaped upon the air,
Had caught a star in its embrace
And held it trembling ikcre.
Tho young moon too, with upturned aides,
Her mirror'd beauty gave;
And as a bark at anchor rides,
She rode upon the wave.
The aea waa like the Heaven above,
Aa perfect and Ma whole,
Save that it seemed to thrill with love
As thrills the immortal soul,
The leaves, by spirit voices stirr'd,
Made murmurs on the air
Low murmurs, that my spirit heard,
And answered with a prayer;
Foi 'twas upon the dewy aound,
Deside the moaning seas,
I learned at fir si to worship God,
And sing such strains as these.
The flowers, all folded to their dreams,
Were bowed in slumber free,
Dy hreesy hills and murmuring streams,
Wheie e're they chanced to be,
IV o guilty teara had they to weep,
No sins to be forgiven ;
They closed their eyea and went to sleep
Right in the face of heaven.
No costly raiment round them shone.
No jewels for the seas,
Yet Solomon upon his throne
Was ne'er arrayed like these:
And just as free from guilt and art,
Wre lovely human flowers,
Ere sorrow set her bleeding heart
On this fair world of ours.
I hsve heard the laughing wind behind,
A playing with my bail
The breezy fingers of the win J,
How cool and moist thej were.
I heard the night bird warbling o'er
Its soft enchanting strain
1 never heard sun sounds before,
And never sUkll again,
Then wherefore weave such strains as these,
And sing them day by day,
When every bird upon the breeze
Can sing a sweeter lay 1
I'd Rive the world for their aweet art.
The simple, the divine ;
I'd give the world to melt one heart.
As they have melted mine.
A simple and effectual mode of keeping ice is
mentioned iu the Kentucky Farmer. The editor
says
We take, at sunrise, from the ice house, as much
ice as will probably be wanted through the day
and cover it up in some saw-dut placed in a bar
re which Ins in the dairy house. At night, the
ize of any given lump is scarce perceptibly dimin.
i.hed. It is a perfect charm. Away with your
h ilf ton of lumber, charcoal and tine, with which
you are, humbugged under the name of "refrigera
tor."
The editor of the Fiankford Commonwealth
adds that he haa tried the method here recommen
ded, and that it answers perfectly.
Dsath or am Isdiah Wabbiob. The Little
Rock papers notice the death of Tishb Misso
relebiated Warriof, who fought under General
'Wayne. He waa a Choctaw Chief. He hat
' fought in nine battles for the United States, has
served his country faithfully, and has been for
many yeara a pensioner of the nation.
It is estimated that there are 10.000 strangers at
all timee in the city of New York, and that theie
ara upwards of 8,000 females in that city, who ob
tain their living by the needle.
llcrculaneunt and Pompeii In
1S39.
Ilerculanium and Pompeii seem both
very distant from the focus of Vesuvi
us. They are now separated from it
by inhabitants and cultivated spaces,
which have been conquered from the
lava and recovered from the volcano.
The village of Portici is built upon the
roofs of the first of those two cities,
which was petrified on the day of its
death, and into the tomb of which one
descends as into a mine, by a sort of
shaft, ending at the theatre w here, it is
conjectured, the inhabitants were as
semblcd when the eruption surprised
them. It was in 1080 that the ruins
of the city made their appearance
for the first time, in an excavation
made at random, which was resumed
in 1720, and finally organized in 1738
with admirable success. The discove
ry of the theatre and of every thing
else has taken place since that period.
The theatre is of Greek architecture;
it is ornamented with a fine front, and
with marble columns standing on the
stage itself; the spectators occupied
twenty-one rows of steps, with a gallery
above embellished with bronze statues.
One can still distinguish the places
allotted to the magistrates, the scene
behind which the actors withdrew, and
a number of objects which excite in the
traveller mingled astonishment and c
motion. There are also at llerculaneum
a forum surrounded with porticos and
temples, which are almost all of them
damaged, and a gaol with old rusty
iron bars, to which the prisoners were
named a melancholy leature ol all
times and places, and a momentous
emblem of human society at all periods.
As you leave these excavations, which
have as vet made little progress, and
i a
cannot be much extended without en-
angering the safety of Portici, you
distinctly perceive several strata of la
va, proving beyond a doubt that llercu-
aneum was drowned in repeated erup
tions of Vesuvius.
The difficulty of carrying on the ex
cavations at so great a depth, and un-
er the very foundations of a new town,
has caused the ruins of llerculaneum to
be almost abandoned for those of Pom
peii, which present a far more striking
nterest. At llerculaneum there are
only catacombs. At Pompeii the Ro
mans entirelv revive : the houses stand
and are furnished and ornamented with
picturesque paintings, the cellars are
stocked as well as the tables ; in more
than one dwelling the dinner has been
found on the table, and the skeletons of
the cuests around it, and then you en
ter every where on the same floor 5 and
as the nshes, which lie but a fiv me
tres thick upon the ancient, buildings,
are cleared, the towa Appears as ours
come to light again when the snow
melts in mountainous countries. You
arrive by a suburb wholly lined with
Roman tombs, and walk over a Roman
pavement, worn out by Roman vehicles;
you may enter the inn; there are the
stables, with the rings to fasten the hor
scs ; close by is the farrier, with his
sign over his door. If you penetrate in
to one of these tombs, you will hnd urns,
containing ashes, hair, and fragments
of calcined bones. Every where are
displayed inscriptions, unaffected, and
touching, such as the epitaph dedicated
by a woman to her husband: "bervi
lia, to the friend of her soul." Let us
advance; we are in the town. To the
right of the gate you behold the guar
dian's sentry box cut into the stone.
lake the footway, for there are loot-
ways at Pompeii, Roman footways,
with posts at intervals on both sides,
footways wherein one ceases not to
gaze 011 wheel ruts, nude 1800 years
Whom do you wish to be taken to ?
You have but to speak the names are
written on tho door of every house in
large red letters. Here is an apotheca
ry's shop, with his drugs in phials, with
surgical instruments aud balsams still
yielding a smell. Here are far differ
ent things, but my faith ! lSntcr, you
have nothing to fear ; but I dare not tell
where you are, unless you have percei
ved the sign over the door. What
think vou of it 1 and yet facing one of
those houses 6tands a temple ol esta
Let us, then, pay a few visits ; we are
in a baker's shop, and here is the flour-
grindstone suppose a stone sugar loal,
covered with an extinguisher also of
stone rub the one against the other,
Bftcr throwing some corn between
them, and you have a Roman mill.
This wretched piece of machinery w as
entrusted to the hand of slaves. But I
, have reserved a surprize for you ; here
is some bread do you read the baker's
name hollowed out of that carbonized
pancake? take and break it. Open
that cupboard ; you will find there pre
served olives, dried figs, lintels and eat
ables of all descriptions. A saucepan
has been carried to the Naples Muse
um, containing a piece of meat, as well
preserved as by Mr. Appert's process.
What a number of meals Vesuvius in
tcrrupted on that day !
I nevertheless, do not think that the
Romans were great eaters. I have
carefully explored a number of kitch
ens and dining rooms at Pompeii, and I
have found, but very trifling cooking
apparatus, and miniature table utensils.
Their plates were real saucers, and the
tables upon w hich the dinner -was ser
ved up, but little stands, in general of
stone or marble, which could hold but
one dish at a time. The guests lay
down as soldiers round their mess.
What is admirable, delightful, charm
ing, overwhelming, to us barbarians of
the nineteenth century, is the exquisite
pureness and delicacy of shape of all the
utensils which served the Romans in
domestic life. One must see those can
dclabras, lamps, vases of all sizes, those
charming little bronze calefactors, (for
every thing was of bronze,) those tri
pods, scales, beds, chairs, those grace
ful and so ingeniously wrought shields
which fill up whole rooms at :hc Naples
Museum. One must, above all, sec the
toilet arsenal of the Roman ladies;
their combs, tooth-picks, curling irons,
and the pots of vegetable and mineral
rouge found in a boudoir. Thus the
Roman ladies used rouge, and deceived
the people just as is practised now a
days ; they wore, like our ladies, those
necklaces, rings and ridiculous ear
rings, which add nothing to beauty and
diminish not ugliness. How times re
semble one another, in spite of the space
that separates them.
Above thirty streets of Pompeii are
now restored to light ; it is a third part
of the town. The walls which formed
its ancient enclosure have been recog
nized; a magnificent amphitheatre, a
theatre, a forum, the temple of Isis, that
of Venus, and a number of other build
ings, have been cleared. The secret
stairs by which the priests of those
times slily crept to prompt the oracles,
have been detected. On beholding so
many monuments which display in so
lively a manner the importance of pub
lic "and the independence of private life
among the Romans, it is impossible to
rcsis a feeling of sadness and melan
choly. Rehold, along the fall of earth,
the vestige of the breast of a woman
who was buried alive, and stiltened by
death behold the stones of that wall,
worn by the rubbinc of the ropes ex
amine that guardhouse, coverered with
caricatures of soldiers one might sup
pose that the Roman people still existed,
and that we were but strangers in one
of their towns. Who knows what fu
ture discoveries may be made in those
august ruins ! Murat employed upon
them 200 men every vear. Only 60
men and 1.000 are now employed
upon them. The excavations proceed,
. . . . . .
n consequence, with dismal slowness,
however great may oe tne interest
. 1 rt ! ... I
wnicn nis Sicilian ;uaiestv tanes in
their success. It is not in Rome de
vastated and disfigured Rome, that one
must co to study the Romans it is in
Pompeii. Pompeii, as regards antiqui
ties, is worth all Italy together.
The following is the narative of the
gentleman who was lust lor lourteen
days in the swamps and morasses of
Louisiana. It is an interesting story :
From the St. Francitvilte Chronirk,
Mr. Editor: In looking over the
Picayune of tho 14th inst, 1 percieved
that some friend had made mention of
the fact that an indiv idual had been lost
in the swamps near Bayou Gross Tete,
and I feel it my duty to give, through
your paper, to the public, a brief sketch
of the suffering consequent upon a four
teen days sojourn in a cane-break.
I left the east bank of Bayou Alaba
ma, six miles above Whiskey Bay, on
the morning of the 18th of May, on a
hunting expedition. Leaving Bayou
Alabama on my left hand, and travel
ling south by west for about two hours,
I shot n deer. After divesting the ani
mal of its head, &c,I took it on my
shoulder and started lor the encamp
ment. When 1 retraced my steps some
distance I found where a panther had
recently been scratching the ground ;
the track on the soft earth was easily
followed, and his course being nearly
the same as mine, I followed him, kec-
ping On my gaurd, as.I knew the "na-
ture of the beast." I had not pursued
more than forty rods w here I heard him
in the edge of a small cane break; I
threw off my burden, to enable me to
use my rifle with more ease and certain-
ty. He immediately made his appear
ance, and I retreated, leaving the deer
between US.
When he Came to the Carcase, he
then stopped, placing one foot on it his
CVes On me, and mine on him. He was
the largest animal of that species I had
ever seen, and the distance was not
more than twentyfive yards belwen
US. Aflcr looking at him a few mo-
mcnts, I brought my rifle to boar Upon
his head at the report pf Which he fell,
I remained in the position until I had
reloaded my rifle, when 1 approached,
as I supposed my dead panther ; but, to
my surprise, he rose and made the best
of his way to the cane he had JUSt left,
I had shot him too low, 1 followed him
from One small cane break to another
for near an hour, and finding that I
COUId not get a second StlOt at mm, I a-
bandoned the pursuit, turning in search
Of the deer I had Unburdened myself,
of on my first encounter with the pan
ther. I soon found it, and resumed my
supposed course toward camp. Ii y
this time it had become cloudy, and I
had no means of ascertaining the cer
tainty of my situation ; however, I tra
velled on, and soon found, by coming
in contact with a small stream of wa
ter, that I was pursuing a wrong, direc
tion I turned and found another
stream, I then came to the painful con
clusion that I was "lost."
Time wore away, and it had reach
ed the Meridian of the day, and the sun
was yet clouded, when I threw down
my burthen, hoping by renewed energy
to yet be enabled to regain the en
campment ere night. I travelled on, I
know not whether, I had lost all con
ception of latitude or longitude ; and at
four in the afternoon I found myself on
the. marrrln of an onen swamn. Here
D
the sun again made his appearance.
I SUPDOsed mvselfto be near the bor-
rW nf Whlsknv Rav. nnd shaned mv
rniir nororino-1 v. hut soon found that
I was surrounded by waters, and pre-
ventwi from lb ow ner anv direct ine
!n cnrxh fnr kirrh lnnt nnrl nt l.iwt mm. 1
' ri j i
nelled to take the water. After wa-
dinff for about two miles, w aist deep I
o . I
the greater part of way, 1 fortunately
found a small SPOt. Here 1 examined
mv Ammunition, nnrl fnilnd both cans
and powder wet. I CUt some palmetto,
Strewed part On the eround, kept the
balance for a Covering, and laid myself
down for the night, as It Was quite dark,
and, althous the musquitoes surrounded
me like a thick cloud, from the fatigue
of the day, I soon fell asleep
When I awoke the sun was shining on the tree
tope. Without having eaten a morsel ol lood
since the morning of the previous day, I set out a
gain in search of the ramp, with the prospect of
spending the longest day of my life in the fruitless
attempt. I wandered on, sometimes in water,
sometimes iu small patches of cane ; and when the
night came, I threw myst If down, and slept ss well
as could be eipected,the musquitoes and tick, feast'
ing the while on my blood, which, notwithstanding
hunzer. was the word! feature of my siualion. On
the fourth night I found myself in four foot water.
I succeeded, however, in finding s treo which had
fallen, but remaining abavo water, on which I slept
through the night. In the morning, I again hreaat
ed the water, and aoon discovcud some cane ; kee-
ping the same course, as near as 1 could, I crossed
the cane and came to an open swamp. Here I
saw some wild cattle, which were the first animila
I had seen since I had abandoned the purauil of llin
wounded panther. They were numerous, largd.
aud in fine condition, one of which would doubtless
have hcen sicriQcJ to jtify the craving of hua
ger, which had beeu tho day previous almost insuf-
feraMe, were it not my ammunition had becume
damaged and useless. This day I also eulTcred
much from hunger, but n longer fell the Incessant
tiling of the mu.quitos and licks, my flesh br ing
apparently doad to pain, yet my feet were giving
way (icing covered with aorns from the friction ot
the shoes in the water. On the following duy I
found some arten blackberrie. snd ate a few ; and
after this lh Cih day I felt no hunger.
I now found myself in a very heavy cane break,
which seemed to be interriiiri ihle, and ull my effoils
to extricate mysolf from it proved unavailable, un
til the lSih day. The cane wss so heavy th.it it
was iinpjaibld to keep sny direct course, snd con-
sequently. my progrea. must have been but slow.
On the Uih day, however I struck a small stream,
and to avoid the difficulty of pushing my sell through
the cane, I took to the water, and about 12 o'clock
I struck a trail, that had been cut by Mr. Lee, U
the banks of the bayou Alabama, I unfortunate.
y took the wrong end of thia trail, and following it
oma distance I found a camo. Takine a careful
obseivstion of the camp and every thing counected
' it, I concluded I was wrong and decided upon
Puing the trail to its termination at the other
enJ' I retraced my steps, and followed it about
three miles, when I laid down, and though I could
"t l,,,p- My feet were worn out, and looked
mor 'iie tw 'urnP o( decaying flesh than the
pedestals of a living being, When I afemptrd to
rise, in the morning, I could not stand, my shoes
could not contain my f?et, I thought my lime had
come j and I wished, fervently prayed, that it might
be so. I at length succeeded in walking, though it
waa some time before I could wear my shoes.
At ten, on the Uih day, I found myself at the
plantation of Mr. Lee. I had sufficient strength to
crocs his fence, but when I walked a few rods, I
fou.nd I was not able to proceej further in the open
field my feet could not bear the heat of the earth,
and the sun seemed to exhaust the little remaining
strength which I hid l.'fu I stretched myself on tho
ground and hollowed at the top of my voice. Mr
Lee. heard me and came to mv assistance. He re-
ccived me with the utmost kindness, furnished me
with clothing, as I was liicrlly naked, snd bo-tow
cd on me every attention which my deplorable situ
stjon required; and in remembrance of which I
beg leave to nfT.r him and his amiabie family my
sincere gratitude for their agency in restoring to
health one who had hid himself down on tho earth
. ,;, no more, if it had not been for their hnmani
'y-
WM. ADAMS.
Bayou Sara, June 5C, 1941.
The Idiot aurl the lleauty.
From a review in Tail's Magazino, of Mr.
Combe's Notes on the United Slates, we quote
an interesting passage descriptive of the quickening
effects produced on an idiot's mind by his habits
of d lily intercourse with a beautiful young girl.
Muore would turn this anecdote to admirable ac
count in a poem. ''In tho course ot conversation,
a case was mentioned to me aa having occurcd in
the experitnee of a highly respectable physician,
snd which was ao fully authenticated thatl enter
tain no doubt of ita truth. The physician alluded
to had a patient, a young man, who was almost idi
otic from the suppression of all his faculties. He ne
ver spoke, and never moved voluntarily, but sat
habitually with his hand shading his eyes. The
physician sent him to walk as a remedial measure,
In the neighbourhood, a beautilul young girl of
'" w'tl h" pnts, nd useJ 10 ,ce lhe
young man in his wsfrs, and speak kindly to him.
r l . L. k kilt at flap RNM.
r or aome ume ne wi . u. .
i"B her for several months, he began to look for
her, and to reel disappointed if she did not appear.
He became so uiuch interested thai he directed hia
P voluntarily io ner lainera cou.Ec,
her boquets oi rowers, ry ueg.,
. . .
with hur throunh tho window. His mental tJCUlties
were roused ; the diwn cf convalescence appeared
The girl waa virtuous, inlellgient, and lovely,
. ....... i .l I .I,-.
na encouraged ms visua wnen see wa. imu .u.
she was benefiting nis mental neanu. 0110 pcu
him if he could read and write. He answered no
She wrote aome lines to him to induce him to
lejrn. This had the desired eiieci. in appirea
himself to study, and soon wrote good and aensi-
ble lettera to her. He recovered his reason.
Sh
was married to a young man from the neighboring
city. G cat fears were entertained that this event
would undo the good she had accomplished. The
young patient sustained a severe shock, but bis
mind did not sink under it. He acquiesced in the
propriety of her choice continued to improve, and
at last, was restored to his family, cured. She bad
a child, and waa soon after brought to the same hos
pital perfectly insane. The young man heard of
this event and was exceeeding anxious to see her
but an Interview waa denied to him, both on her ac
count and hia own. She died. He continued well,
and became an active member of society. What
s beantifal romance might be founded on this bar
rative !"
From le Mirror.
Fourth of July In New York.
"Pop, pop bang, bang Fii On Monday last,
gunpowder was ss plenty aa street dust, the Dec
laraiion of Independence was read in ten thousand
I idjceat a', least half a million of speeches were de-
liveied, and miny lillions of toasts were drank
The Park became the El Dorado of root-been an
apple-women ( the peop'e showed their dexterity
In eating pie ; and theie were at least six miles of
roast pig iu Broadway, ('hathara street, and th
Do tvery. The city ordinances aud auth rrities pro
hibited boys from issuing fire-works, and the boy
allowed their independence of all ordinances, by
s iting oil' squibs under the very noses of the nu
thorities. Fiery serpen's hissed at our heels i rock
ets penetrated our windows, aud explore! our bed
chambers and crikera were any thing but goo I t
eat. The jnbdee of King Alcohol had arrived, an
in the evuii ig po.ia aud feucea to lean agaiu
weie in diinind, and tho oidiiunce lespectuij the
grass nf the l'aik snd lljliery were viidjled by the
acie. Alercy on ui now lucay n is mai uio
fourth of July comes but once a year I Let ua be
allowed to leiuark here, ihat though we have great
reason to be prouJ of the rec Elections ibis day aug
B's:., and j.-y.ul in ine mossing. co.nme.nor.re.
ttiere is no reason wuy ikjjiij u .u u urina uioro
than is reasonable j anj that ihere is no oecestary
connexion between noise and grjtiiude to heaven.
Heie enJelh the chapter ; and we dismi-s the
congregation, exhorting them to profit h) the dis
course, which, for convenience' Saks, we have divi
ded into nineteen geueial beads, of which we re-
e eigUtecn for another homily.
From the Missionary Herald for March.
Flerjr Flying; Serpent.
In the early period of 1832, a native chief of Id
mo Manis, in the vicinity of Padang, named Tam
Dasar in company with another person, mentioned
to Mra. F. A. Vandenberg and myself that they
had just before aeen a serpent (lying, and as it was
considered dangeroua, had killed i' We smild at
them aa romancing, but they affirmed positively
that they had seen it fly , and offered to take us to it
We accordingly went and examined it ; and find,
ing no appendage of the nature of wings wo again
laughed at them aa attempting to impose on our
credulily. They, however, continued positive that
they had seen it Dy, and explained the mode of fly.
ing by aaying it had power to render the under
part of tho belly concave instead of convex, aa far at
the libs extended, whence it derived its support in
the air I whilst its propultfion was produced by a
motion of lhe body similar to that of swimming in
the water. We, however, continued incredulous,
and took no further notice of the circumstance.
In January, t83i, I was walking with Mr. P. Ro
gers, in a forest near the river Padang Bessie, a
bout a mi'e from the spot where the abjve waa
f killed, when stopping for a moment to admire an
immense tree, covcreJ as with a girment of creep
ers, I beheld a serpent fly from it, at tho hight of
fifty or sixty feet above tho ground, and alight upon
another at the distance of forty fathoms. Its ve
locity was rapid ai a birj, its motion that of a ser
pent swimming through water. It had no appear
ance of wings. Its course that of a direct line an
nclination of ten or fifteen degrees to the horizon.
It appeared to be fjur feet long. The one killed
y tho native chief was about the same length, was
f .hinder proportion, daik colored back, light be
low and was not characterized by any peculiarity
hich would make it remarkable to a stranger.-
Thus waa I convinced of the existence of flying;
serpents; snd en inquiry, I found some of the na
ves, accustomed to the forest, aware of the fact.
Those acquainted with (he serpent called it 'Ular
tampang hart,' (the fiery serpcni) from the burning
pain and mortal effect of its bite ; so that the fiery
flying serpent of the Scriptures was not an imagi
nary creators though it appears now extinct in the
regions it formerly inhabited. I have delayed the
present notice in hopes of obtaining a specimen
which I could offer as a more convincing proof than
my bare assertion t but further delay may possibly
with some weaken even this testimony on a point
hich appears to have been long disputed, and
which has not been credited by any of the Dutch
gentlemen employed in collecting specimens of the
natrual history of these parta to whom I have men
tioned it. 1 learn from the natives, however, that
this is not the only species that flies. There is one
culled "Ular Tadung," with red head, and not ex
ceeding two feet long, seen sometimes about cocoa
trees, whoso bite is instantly nuital, and which has
tho power of flying or rather leaping a distance of
twenty fathoms, for it is described ss not having the
wiving motion through the air of the ono I saw.
N. M. Wabo.
Padang, West Coast Somalia.
When we look upon the beautiful metals that
we meet with in the Laboratory of the Chemists,
we seldom stop to reflect upon the great labour and
the deleterious operation, thtough which the mi
ners have to pans, in presenting them to ua for .
All the mines in the woilJ.aro so many great ainka
of slow and poisonous death to their inmates. The
Lead, (hat we would at first sight imagine innox
ious, is not altogether so to those who work at it.
Even the painters have a disease, that is produced
by the use of lead ss a pigment. Dut those mines,
that lie deep in the bowels of the earth, impose a
dreadful existence upon those who have to work
them, either eolim'ary or upon compulsion. The
mercurial mines are horrid. The following is a de
scription of the Quick.ilver mine Guanca Velica of
Peru l It is one hundred and seventy fathoms in
circumference, snd four hundred and eighty deep.
In thia profound abyss are seen streets, squares and
a chapel where religious mysteries on all lewtival
sre celebrated Millions of fla'nbeaux are continue
ally burning to enlighten it. The mine genorally
affects with convulsions those who work in it The
unfortunate victims of an inaatiuble avarice are
crowded all together in these abysses. Tyranny
haa invented this refinement in cruelty, to isndai
il impossible for any thing to escape it."
"There in the dark Peruvian mine confined.
Lost to the cheerful commeice of mankind.
The groaning capiive wastes his bfo away,
Foieverexil'd from the realms of day.
While all forlorn and sad he pines in vain
For scenes he never shall possess sgiin."
We usually find mercury ia a fluid state as it re
quires but a smalt quantity of hrat to keep up its
fluidity. Mercury becomes solid at thirty -nine de
giees below aero, on Fahrenheit, thermometer. In
Kj-sia sod Canada, mercury frequently congeals.
In 1799, Mr. Pepys, as will bo seen in the Phi
losophical Migatine, froze HAy-.i poon J of me"
cury into a solid malleable man.
American Sentinel.
More than a million of paasengera have been car
rieJ on the Eastern railroad, since iu opening, ami
lhe only accident which has happened to any of
them wss in tk case of Hon. Mr. SaUonstsll.
whose arm wss a little bruised a few months ago, ita
consequence of the door of a baggage car being left
ojx-n as (he Wain was entering the depot aa th of
posite Hack. ytwburnport Hera'J.