MISCELLANY.

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 10,027l. 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."

FOR THE RURAL MAGAZINE.

The following extract is taken from the Poems of Cunningham, whose pastorals are those in which he is generally considered as the most successful. The moral of this fable is good; and if resembled in our daily intercourse with each other, might be highly useful.

I.