MISCELLANY.
From a late report of the Secretary of the Treasury it appears that the banking capital of the United States, including the United States' bank, and excluding all banks incorporated since 1817, amounts to $125,000,000.
A curious circumstance occurred on Monday week at Market Levington, Wilts. A person named Jane Webb attended divine service attired precisely in the same suit of mourning for our late sovereign George III. as was worn by her for king George II. The singularity of its make, attracted much notice. This venerable and frugal spinster has attained her 76th year.
An oil spring has been discovered in the county of Morgan, Ohio, which is stated to yield an inexhaustible quantity of this liquid. It sells for fifty cents a gallon. It is used for lamps, for currying leather, for mixing in medicines, &c. Whether it is calculated for mixing in paints had not been ascertained.
Worm in a Horse's eye.—Dr. William Scott, of Madras, has extracted a worm from the aqueous humour of a horse's eye to which he gave the name of Accaris pellucidus.
The legislature of New Jersey has passed a law for incorporating a company for the purpose of embanking and draining the salt marsh on Barbadoes neck in that state.
In the British Quarterly Review, mention is made of a British statute now in force, in which the punishment of a certain offence is transportation for 14 years; and on conviction, one half thereof is to go to the informer, and the other half to the king! Did ever an Irish parliament make such a blunder as this?
Virginia is much engaged in laying out works of internal improvement; especially with a project of uniting the waters of James river with those of Kenawha.
The Bordeaux ship of discovery, (says a New York paper) has arrived at Bordeaux, after an absence of three years and a half. This ship has traversed the Pacific Ocean, and collected at the Sandwich Islands, some interesting accounts of the fate of La Peyrouse and his companions. A London paper states, that the account will soon be published.
Shawneetown, Illinois, Feb. 17.
Arrival from New York!—The Steam Boat Manhattan, from New York, arrived here this day, 30 days from New Orleans. She brings consignments for two houses in this place, from the city of New York. Freight three dollars only.
Imports at Liverpool from the United States.
| Flour, bbls. | Rice, casks. | Tobacco, hds. | Cotton, bags. | |
| 1817 | 540,000 | 195,000 | 7,361 | 314,330 |
| 1818 | 350,000 | 100,000 | 110,000 | 423,500 |
| 1819 | 43,000 | 78,000 | 8,790 | 366,000 |
The Maine and Missouri questions are at length settled. Both districts of country are admitted into the Union, as states; the former, from its population, requiring no restriction of slavery; and the latter admitted on the same terms—4 majority in the house of representatives in favour of the bill as it has passed. The bill, however, excludes slavery from all the territory North of 361⁄2 deg. of N. latitude, Missouri excepted.
From a respectable correspondent in Pauling, Duchess county, we have the following singular case. Mr. Luther Brownwell of Beekman, in that county having, in the month of April 1815, a sow with a litter of five pigs, and she dying when they were only two days old, he appropriated the milk of one of his new milch cows for their support. The cow was milked four or five times a day for this purpose, and the pigs were learned to drink the milk. When pasturing time came, they were put in the field where the cow with nine others was kept. At the age of two months, the pigs had the sagacity to single out this cow from the rest, and when hungry would come round her, root at her legs, squeak, and exhibit the usual signs of their wants. The cow at length learned to lay down, and let them suck what they wanted. In this way they grew very rapidly until some time in September, when they were put up to fatten, and were killed the November following. Their average weight was 240lbs. or 1200lbs. of pork, which he sold for $8,50 a hundred.
Aside from the singularity of this case, the inquiry naturally presents itself, could the milk of the cow have been put to a more profitable use? Is it not probable that her milk made an addition of at least 600lbs. to the quantity of pork? [Plough Boy.
An apprentices' library is about to be established in New York, on the same plan as the one in this city and in Boston. The library in Boston consists of about 1000 volumes, principally of books on the mechanic arts, of history, travels, and other useful knowledge, and on moral and religious subjects.
Steam Boats.—Among many interesting articles in the second number of the German Correspondent, published in New York, we find the following:
"The steam boat Blucher was lately launched at Potsdam. Several members of the royal family were present, and Prince Albseeth conferred the name. This is probably the largest steam boat in Europe, the whole length being 200 feet. It draws but 201⁄2 inches of water. The boat contains two engines, which perform exceedingly well. The utmost precaution is used against accidents by fire. As this vessel will carry merchandize of great value, and in large quantities, the hold has been divided into nine compartments by water proof partitions, so that, in case it should spring a leak, there is every probability that the vessel would not fill—besides, by means of tubes there is a communication between these chambers and the locations of the engines, which are so arranged as to pump any quantity of water out of the divisions where the leak may exist. This improvement appears to be well calculated for the steam boats on the Mississippi."
Sagacity of a bear.—A bear which had stolen a sheep, being closely persued by several dogs, promptly resorted to a most ingenious expedient. He tore the sheep in pieces, and threw the dogs one of the hinder legs; and while they were partaking of this repast, had full time to escape.
This fact is formally certified, by a game-keeper in Transylvania, where there are a great many bears. The most remarkable circumstance was, that from that time the dogs would never attack any of these animals, but on the contrary, received them in the most friendly manner, as if they expected a dinner. The owner of the flock was obliged to have the dogs shot, that he might not have those hungry guests always about him. [German Paper.