nation, large as it was, was accompanied with an intimation, that when it was expended, more was ready.

The name of this gentleman is John Townsend.

January 25.

Twenty thousand dollars was appropriated, by law of the United States, to complete the north wing of the capitol, and other public buildings, at Washington.

New York, Jan. 26. The late mild weather and rain has reduced the price of wood, and rendered our port so free of ice, that when the wind permits, there will be no difficulty in vessels coming in or going out.

As an elderly gentleman was walking along Pearl-street this morning, the snow from the roof of an adjacent house suddenly came off, knocked him down, and so completely buried him up, that they were obliged to dig him out. No limbs, however, were broken, nor any material injury done.

January 27. Yesterday morning, a ferry boat, commanded by Richard Cole, left Powles hook, early in the morning, for Whitehall. The tide was changing, the wind died away, and was succeeded by so thick a fog, that during the whole day, no object, at a hundred yards distance, could be perceived. It is therefore probable, that the boat has been drifting with the tide ever since, as Mr. Cole had neither compass nor oars. The boat was loaded with hoop poles, and had on board a number of passengers. She could receive no damage from the ice, as what is left is very soft.

A child of Mr. Robert Hewitt, pilot, aged about three years, being left alone, at his house, No. 12, Cliff-street, New York, took fire in

its clothes, by playing with a lighted candle, and was so much burned, that it died shortly after.

A man of the name of James Boner, of New York, fell into the dock, near the Old slip, and was drowned. He bore the character of an industrious man, and has left a wife and seven children.

A recent instance of swindling has occurred in New York, which, both for the purpose of exposing a scoundrel, and putting the public on their guard against him, ought not to pass unnoticed. A person, calling himself J. Barclay Croker, and who says that he comes from a house in London, has lately ushered himself into notice, as a goldsmith, jeweller, &c., and has so far imposed on the public, as to possess himself of many valuable articles, in the line of his pretended profession. Suspecting, as it seems, that he could not continue his nefarious practices, without discovery, he clandestinely left his lodgings on Sunday last, and has not since been heard of. Some circumstances lead to conjecture, that he has gone to Norfolk or Richmond.

Mr. William Payne, late first mate of the ship Hibernia, which was cast away upon Plymouth beach, has arrived in Boston. He informs, that the ship struck about four o'clock, P. M., when the sea made a fair breach over her. All the people on board, eleven in number, were obliged to climb the shrouds, to prevent being washed over board; that in the struggle he lost his shoes and mittins; that he continued on the shrouds until the people perished and fell off, one after another, until he supposed they were all dead. Finding himself unable to continue there any longer, he went down upon the main deck, which is the last thing which he can recollect, while on board the ship.

About the time the ship went on shore, the people in Plymouth discovered her, and a number of the inhabitants repaired to the beach, built a large fire, and erected a tent, in order to save the lives of any who might get on shore. The sea running so high, they found it impossible to board the ship, until about two o'clock in the morning. Thinking the tide a little more favourable, a Mr. Leonard took an end of a rope, lashed it around him, and attempted to swim on board the ship, it being about twelve rods, leaving the other end on shore, which he accomplished. Finding Mr. Payne and the boy alive, he lashed the rope around them both, threw them over board, calling upon the people on the beach, who drew them on shore.

The account of the manner of his getting on shore was related to him by the inhabitants; he had no knowledge of it at the time, neither had he any sense for a number of hours after. He observes, that he had every attention paid to him by the people at Plymouth, for which he feels himself under the greatest obligation. His feet and hands are very much frozen, which will probably prevent him doing any tusiness until warm weather. He has lost all his clothes and his adventure, and has a wife and one child.

January 27.

The senate of Pennsylvania decided on the article of impeachment against the judges of the supreme court. Thirteen of the members voted for condemning, and eleven for acquitting, them. They were therefore acquitted, as no person can be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.

Mr. Perkins has obtained leave to introduce into the legislature of Delaware, a bill for the gradual abolition of slavery within that state, which provides, that all children

born after the passing of the act shall be free, but to remain the servant of the owner of the mother until twenty-one years of age.

It provides also for the registering, by the recorder of each county, of all such children, and for all slaves now in the state, and declares, that all not registered within six months, shall be deemed free.

It also provides against the separation of a husband and wife, or child under four years of age, from a parent. It has passed the committee of the whole house, and its friends hope its final passage.

Dr. Trumbull, in his history of Connecticut, mentions, from Winthorp's journal, that, in the year 1637, the snow lay from the 4th of November until the 23d of March; that it was sometimes three or four feet deep; that once, in the winter, it snowed, for two hours together, flakes as big as an English shilling.

The depth of the snow is now, or lately has been as great or greater; but it is hoped that it will not be equal to that in duration.

January 29.

The academy in Hallowell, district of Maine, was consumed by fire, together with the apparatus belonging to the same, and the books of about sixty students. This valuable institution has been in operation about nine years, during which time about nine hundred students have there received the benefits of an academic education. It was the first organized institution of the kind in the district of Maine; and, at the present time, only one more is in operation eastward of Portland.

Newark, N. J., January 29. On the morning of Thursday last, about half after one o'clock, a fire was discovered in the house of major Samuel Hays, of this town; and notwithstanding the alacrity of our

citizens in turning out, and their exertions at the fire, the house, together with the principal part of the contents, were consumed. And had not a person, who accidentally passed by, alarmed the family, it is altogether probable a part, if not all of them, would have perished in the flames.

In this providential escape, they had to fly with no other apparel than what they went to rest in; and but a few escaped without receiving some personal injury by the fire.

The goods lost in the house, at a moderate calculation, is estimated at fifteen hundred dollars. The fire originated in the cellar.

The want of fire-buckets was manifestly evident on this occasion. Every body was proceeding to the fire, but nobody had buckets to hand water for its extinguishment. We believe twenty could not have been counted. The consequence was, the ludicrous sight of men snow-balling a house, to put out the fire!

three miles, when the wheels of one side ascended a hillock, over which it would have passed in perfect safety, had not the flour fallen to its lower side, which immediately upset the carriage. The writer of this is sorry to state, that the justly celebrated Dr. Beynham, of Carolina, one of the passengers (all of whom received a very distressing shock), suffered a dislocation of the right shoulder joint, which has hitherto proved irreducible.

Litchfield, Con., Feb. 6.

On Tuesday of last week, during the violent snow storm, William Hitchcock, aged 29, perished in this place. In company with a number of others, he had been breaking a path from a south-east neighbourhood to the meeting-house. For some reason, he was a few minutes after the rest in returning. Just before sun-down he was met on his way homeward; and about a hundred rods further on he was found, before dark, with his face downward, and nearly lifeless. After he was carried to the next house, he gasped twice and expired. His relations, it is supposed, live in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Three other persons, one a woman, belonging to Colebrook, the other two men, one an inhabitant of Canaan, and the other a stranger, perished in the storm in which Mr. Hitchcock was a sufferer. Five persons in this county lost their lives in the violent storm of the 22d ult.

By letters received in this city from the Mediterranean we learn, that a duel took place between Mr. Dehart, of New Jersey, and Mr. Nicholson, of Maryland, both officers in the American squadron. The third fire proved fatal to Mr. Nicholson. He was shot through the head, and died instantly.

February 7. From Trenton we learn, that the

mild weather and rain raised the Delaware so much, that a great number of people, who lived on the low land contiguous to the river, were obliged precipitately to leave their houses, in such numbers, that sixty or seventy men, women, and children were collected about a fire, on a hill above Trenton, without shelter. The water was at one time twelve or fifteen feet above the common level, and had carried away a mill and several houses; it is further said, that the ice was entirely broke up, above the falls; that boats, from fifty or sixty miles up the river, had come down with produce, and were waiting for the breaking up of the ice below Trenton, to bring the same to this city.

Norfolk, Vir., Feb. 9. The skipper of a craft, a white man, named Amos, was murdered, on Wednesday night, in Calvert's alley, by three negro fellows. From what has transpired we learn, that Amos was drinking in a tippling shop, in that nefarious alley, kept by a negro woman, when the three fellows came in, and called for liquor; that he abused them for daring to call for liquor in a white man's presence. The negroes retorted, by saying, "their money was as good as his, and if he would come out of the house they would let him know it." Upon which he went out, and in a few minutes after was found dead, having received a violent contusion in the head. The murderers have since been committed to prison.

On the 10th instant, Stephen Arnold, of the town of Burlington, county of Otsego, and state of New York, returned home from a school he was teaching in the neighbourhood, and enquired of a little orphan girl, of six years of age, who lived with him, whether she would spell and pronounce gig aright; she im

mediately replied "yes, sir;" but being terrified by the severity of his manner, or not having acquired the command of articulation, or possibly, but not probably, from a perverse humour, she pronounced it jig. He then went out and collected a number of green rods or switches, about three feet in length, with which he returned, and threw them down by the fire, declaring that he would whip her until she pronounced the word aright. His wife observed that the sticks were too big; he said he would fix them, and placed them in the embers, and twisted them so as to render them supple. He then took six or seven of them, and the affrighted child, out of the house, into the cold evening air, and turning her clothes over her head, to prevent her screams being heard, and closing them in his left hand, which he rested on the top of a stake or post, held the child up in that manner, with her body entirely naked, and whipt her for some time with great severity; when being himself cold, he took her into the house, and asked her if she would pronounce the word right; she, as before, replied in a humble and obedient manner,

yes, sir," but could not, or would not, pronounce the g hard, but still said jig. He then took her to the same place, and repeated the barbarous scourging in the same manner, at seven intervals, bringing her into the house between each, and repeating the same question, and receiving the same answer as before. The sixth time he came in, after warming himself, he told her she must go out again, upon which the child, in a piteous and entreating tone, said, "Do, uncle, let me warm my feet, they are almost froze."He quickly replied, in an enraged manner, I'll warm your feet for you; and seizing her, repaired again to the bloody post, where he, in the most savage manner, exceeded his former tortures. The miserable child languished nearly four days, and expired. The stubs or remains

of several of the sticks were found broken or shivered off to about a foot in length.

The whole of the horrid transaction occupied about an hour and a half of time, during which time neither pity nor compunction was discernible in his eyes, features, words, or actions; but he declared that he had as lieve whip her to death as not. The savage fury of this tyger in human shape is declared, by the physicians and members of the coroner's inquest, to be indescribable. The whole of her back had the appearance of a mass of bruised and lacerated raw flesh; her thighs and legs were deeply cut in many places; exhibiting a sight of horror that would chill the blood of the most insensible of the human race. The bereaved and distressed mother has been at times delirious. The monster, who perpetrated this horrible act, made his escape a few hours before death had delivered the victim of his barbarity from further torture. He has a wife, but no children, is about thirty-four years of age, sandy hair, a little bald, speaks through his nose, has something of a down look, shows his upper teeth when speaking, is very abstemious as to strong drink, has a father in Rhode Island.

Boston, Feb. 16.

Yesterday morning, about three o'clock, our citizens were alarmed by the cry of fire, which proved to be in Cambridge village, near the bridge causeway. It broke out in a small building occupied for the storage of lime. The water having made its way into the lime barrels, immediately communicated fire to the building; and the wind being very strong at west, the adjacent buildings to leeward caught and consumed so suddenly, that nothing of value could be saved. Two stores and a large barn were burnt, with their contents of provisions, liquors, lime, &c., amounting, by estimation, to between twelve and fifteen thou

VOL. III. NO. XVII.