The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1786-10-16 00:00:00, page 3

to be of cafy ascent, but was white, and glittering ve
ry much, and it extended all round circularly like a
coast. Having got so far, I was determined to make
my observations, and therefore directed the boat to
be hoiked out, and proper provisions to be taken in
her, and blankets to cover us if necefiary, for it was
very cold. We afeended the hill, which was of some
height ; but what was my aftoniihment when I reached
its summit to behold, as it were, the elements at war:
something issuing out to the northward, quite white,
and flying upwards with prodigious force. A few
chryftalized fubftan:es like glass, fell near me, which
were, hexagonal, and refracted the light. Upon tasting
it I found it was nitre---! collected some, and put
them into a cut glass smelling bottle, and for some
time after they continued to shine in the dark: by
this I shall endeavour to account for the Aurora Bo
realis. The particles emitting light, I own, surprised
me a little, although I know that some diamonds have
the property of imbibing the fun's rays, and shining
in the dark. 1 had not been long at the top of the
hill before a dreadful eruption issued forth, which
proved to me there was a volcano that threw out nitre
at the North Pole. Being apprehensive of the most
fatal consequences, I made hatte back to the boat, and
returned on board the ship. The cable was instantly
cut, and we made fail to the southward, which an air
of wind from the northward at this time enabled us
to do. I was now convinced of the impracticability
of palling the North Pole, and that according to ma
ny, the North Pole is primum frigidum. My expedi
tion may prove of use,. and what 1 law suggested to
me the following remarks:
ill, As the mouth of the vulcano may be at lead
a degree in diameter, the nitre mult be forced to a
prodigious height, and the centrifugal force of the
earth's diurnal motion must fend it towards the equa
tor, where, meeting with a similar column from the
southward, they unite and pal's on, and being dissolved in
their defeent, mix with watery vapour at the top of
the lower atmosphere, which being condensed by the
nitre, falls in rain or is turned into snow, and is in
tercepted in its course by the Cordilleras or the Andes,
and other high mountains.
2d, On the top of the atmosphere there constantly
floats a nitrous vapour, which condenses the exhalati
ons of the earth and tea, and occalions rain and snow.
Now if it was not for a perpetual supply, the nitrous
vapour must in time be exhausted. From a degree
fquaic of the sea is exhaled, daily, thirty-three milli
ons of tons of water, and it must require a vast deal
of nitre to condense into rain or snow, the watery va
pour arising from such an exhalation.
3d, A greater portion of nitrous vapour descend
ing in one place more than in another, must occasion
local frofts and snows.
4th, The Aurora Borealis may be accounted for, from
it. The prismatic particles of chryftalized nitre being
forcibly driven in a body to the southward, and de
scending different ways at once, may exhibit at night,
in clear weather, that luminous appearance, and the
disappearance is when the nitre being partly dissolved
by the atmosphere, ceaies to be lucid and emit light.
sth, There is, no doubt, a similar volcano of nitre
at the South Pole, and an Aurora Auflralis, which would
be seen was there lufficient land to attract and imbibe
the watery vapour; for at present the thickness of the
atmosphere to the southward prevents its being dis
covered.
I continued my course to the southward with a fine
breeze, and brought to in lat. 80 deg. N. which is a
good fifhing latitude ; here we were fortunate enough
to take three filh, with which we returned to this port.
I request you will be pleated to solicit the parliamen
tary reward for me, for having palled certain latitudes,
and you will greatly oblige,
Your faithful and obedient servant,
JAMES WYATT."
By the United States in Congress assembled.
September 20, 1786.
ON the report of a committee, confiding of Mr.
Pinckney, Mr. Dane and Mr. Carrington, to whom
was referred a letter of the 19th from the postmaster
general.
Whereas the United States in Congress assembled,
are by the articles of confederation, invested with the
foie and exclusive right of eftablilhing and regulating
poft-offites from one date to another, throughout the
United States; and exacting such postage, on the pa
pers passing through the fame, as may be requisite to
defray the expences of the laid offices.
And whereas the present situation and demands of
the pod-office, will on no account admit the receipt
of any other money than specie ; the paper currencies
'of the several dates from their limited circulation,
and probable depreciation, being totally inadequate to
the purpose.
Refolded therefore, That the postmaster general be,
and he is hereby directed, to issue inftruCtions to
the postmasters in the several dates to receive no other
money in payment for postage than specie.
Refolded, That the postmaster general be, and he is
hereby impowered, in all cases, where he may con
ceive it necessary, to demand or authorize the de
manding the podage, at the time the letters arc put
into the pod-offices.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 27.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman at the Falls of the
Ohio, to his friend in this city, dated August 26.
" An expedition was to have taken place against the
Indians with 500 volunteers lad month, but an order
came contradicting it, 1500 men are now raised, and
will proceed against the Wabash Indians in a few days.
General Clark takes the command."
Sept. 30. The manufactory of mails alone, it is
said, in Pennsylvania, will save to this country near
/. 100,000 sterling, annually. What encourage
ment should this afford to our legiflatdres, to pro
ceed in pratronifing and rewarding the manufacturers
of our country.
It must give every good man pleasure to find that,
while our merchants decline, our farmers and manu
facturers flourifh more than before the war. There
is nothing wanting in Pennsylvania to render her the
firft state in the union, and the happiest community
in the world, but the revival of private and publick
credit, and stability and equity in our laws.
The great opposition which has been given to the
city of Philadelphia, being equally represented in the
assembly by our city demagogues, is not only a proof
that they have no hopes of succeeding at the next
general election, but that they want honour and honesty,
and that the advancement of party views, is the
object of all their schemes, and the end of all their
g overnment.
Oct. it. Thursday night last a very heavy gust of rain
and wind, from the south call fell in and near this
city, and we suppose extended a considerable distance
into the country, as the waters of the Delaware and
Schuylkil, Since that time, have risen several feet higher
than usual, by which the goods in several warehouses
on the wharves were much damaged, and the mea
dows on both rivers overflowed, the banks being beaten
down by the violence of the wind and rain : this latter
damage is Severely felt by the owners of that property,
who had, at much trouble and expence, just repaired
the devaluation of the floods last fpriug.— But we are
sorry to find, that in a neighbouring state the people
.have been greater fuffcrers by this sudden inundation,
as appears by the following
Extract of a letter from Baltimore, dated Oft. 7.
" After four days continuation of Southerly winds
and heavy rains in town and country, we had of courle
a high tide, and the waters in falls run down with the
greatest violence, and role to luch a height, from fix
to nine o'clock in the night, that it irr liftibly carried
away every thing before it —mills, houses, seven mill
dams, bridges, Stores, fences, &c.
'' i hank God, Mr. B. with ail his family is well and
fafe ; his front house and that on the alley are fafc ;
but that where they boil soap is quite Swept away,
with the fences ; and to shorten the detail, of this lad
and sudden ditafter, I only mention this much: the
waters arose so high, that in our school-room it was
two feet and a half above the floor, and in Mr. B 's
front room it went over the top of his delk. Near
the upper bridge it swept away three or four houses,
great part of Mackenheimer's large house in the Marih,
and the gable end and great part of the New-Reform-
ed Church, in Old-Town ; the corners of Jaffray and
W. Roe's fine brick houses—all three bridges, and
I what more is not. yet known. By this you may catily
guess of other damages. Several lives were loft.
Some people carried down the current, were saved,
others drowned.
" Every spot along the falls looks frightful.
'' Mr. B. had the singular circumstance of a dead
horse floating into his back door, through his house
into the parlour, and there lodged.
" Yesterday evening about four o'clock, Mr. Boyce,
in crossing the Rapid balls, near Hanlon's House, in
a photon, was drowned. One Ryan, a butcher at the
point, crolling the falls in a canoe, tell over and was
diowned—only eight feet from the ihore."
Extract of a letter from Baltimore, October 7, 1786, to
a gentleman in this city.
'' The greatest dorm ever known here was in the
evening of the jth instant. Out of ten or twelve
mills in this neighbourhood, there are but two which
will be able to grind these two months. Moor's two
and Hanson's three, contiguous to the town, are almost
irreparable. The iron works on Gunpowder-Falls, are
carried off; many houses on the low ground in the
vicinity of the falls in town, both brick and frame,
were carried off. Ten or twelve persons loft their
lives in endeavouring to preserve the property. Our
mill is less injured than any other, and our lol' sother
wife is inconsiderable."
TRENTO N, October 17.
At the annual election, which commenced on Tues
day last throughout this state, for representatives to
serve in council and assembly, and of Sheriffs, for the
enluing year, the following gentlemen were returned :
Bergen. Council, Peter Haring, Esquire. Assem
bly, Jacob Terhune, Isaac Nichol, and David Board,
Esquires. Sheriff, Peter Ward, Esquire.
Monmouth. Council, Asher Holmes, Esquire. As
sembly, Eliflia Walton, Peter Schenck, and Joseph
Stilwell, Esquires. Sheriff, David Rhea, Esquire.
Somerset. Council, Ephraim Martin, Esquire. As
sembly, Edward Bunn, Robert Blair, and David Kel
ley, Esquires. Sheriff, John Hardenbergh, Esquire.
Gloucester. Council, Elijah Clark, Esquire. As
sembly, Thomas Clark, Franklin Davenport, and John
Kelli, Esquires. Sheriff, Joseph Blackwood, Esq.
Salem. Council, Whitten Cripps, Esquire. As
sembly, Ephraim Lloyd, Edmund Weatherby, and
Samuel Sharp, Esquires. Sheriff, Benjamin Cripps,
Esquire.
Cumberland. Council, Samuel Ogden, Esquire. As
sembly, Jonathan Bowen, John Sheppard, and Ephraim
Harris, Esquires. Sheriff, Eli Elmer, Esquire.
Sussex. Council, Mark Thompson, Esquire. fA
fembly, Aaron Hankinfon, Charles Beardllce, and
Chridopher Longstreet, Esquires. Sheriff, William
Kerr, Esq.
Saturday fe'nnight Daniel Whitelock was drown
ed in the Delaware opposite this place, occasioned by
his attempting to get drift wood, a large quantity of
which had l>een brought down the river by the un-
I commonly high frefli. He has left a difeonfolate wi
dow and five children to bewail his loss.
A writer in a late London news-paper, observes,
I that all those books which were written by the ex
cellent and learned Doctor PRICE, during the war
with America, have been translated into Dutch, and
were read in the United Netherlands with all the avi
dity with which they were some time ago read in A
mcrica, and will, most likely, produce a similar effeft.
A cuiious instance of the power of a private individu
al to propagate truth and reason in an enlightened
''lie, and to conti il)ute to the advancement of the free
dom and emancipation of mankind from tyranny and
arbitrary power." The fame news-paper mentions,
that many Dutch families had lately left the provin
ces, and more were quitting them, insurrections be
ing hourly expected. The army, the navy, and all the
lower cuts ot people were with the Prince. Stadthol
dei tne tracing part only, who fuffered by the war,
being the lupporters of the faction.''
At the courts of Oyer and Terminer and General
Gaol Delivery, held at Morris-Town on Tuesday
the 3d instant, Jeremiah Van-Alftine, was convicted
of hone-dealing, and is sentenced to be executed bn
the nth day of November next. And Joseph Dif
berry, alias Difbee, was convicted of grand larceny,
and burnt in the hand; he was also convicted of pet
ty larceny, for which he was sentenced to be whipt.
lie appears to be an old offender, as both of his ears
are cropped.
■o^o^te e^a&QQ.<>..„<>.
From the Virginia Gazette, rs Sept. 7.
Lt is dilcoveied that the basis of the celebrated
Cancer Powder used by the late [Jr, Martin, is white
arsenic. she great art of applying it fuccefsfully,
is to dilute and mix it in such a manner as to miti
gate the violence of its action. The Doctor's com
position was happily calculated for this purpose.—
for .his important difeovery we are indebted to the
indefatigable researches of Dr. Benjamin RuSh, a
member of the American Philosophical Society,
whole account of Dr. Martin's powder, with some
brief observations on cancers was read in the Society,
in February last. Dr. Rush fays, that it gave lefs'
pain than tlre common or lunar caustic; excited a
moderate inflammation, which separated the morbid
from the found parts, and promoted a plentiful ef
flux of humours to the fore during its application.
It seldom produces an efchar; hence it insinuates it
felf into the deepest recedes of the cancels, and
frequently separates those fibres which are generally
called the roots of the cancer, in an unbroken state.
Upon this,account, he thinks, in an ulcerated cancer
it is to be preferred to the knife, as it has no adion
on the found ficin, which has been proved by Dr.
Hall, who confined a small quantity of it for many
hours on his arm. In those cases where Dr. Martin
used to extrafl cancerous or fchirrous tumours, Dr.
Rush believes, that he always broke the skin with
Spanish flies, lie supposes, from the examination of
; the powder with the eye, that the proportion of ar
senic to the vegetable powder, could not have been
more than one fortieth part of the whole compound'
that different vegetable substances were employed at
diffeient times; and that in the powder which he ex
amined, there was probably nothing more than the
Iroot1 root and berries of folanum lethale or deadly night
,fhade. As the principal, and perhaps the only de
hgn of the vegetable addition was to blunt the acti
vity of the arsenic, it is thought the fame proportion
of common wheat flour, or a solution of arsenic in
I water, would answer nearly the fame purpose. Dr.
;Martin's powder has been found to do service in fores
l of all kinds, and through a variety of cases attended
I with fungous fleih or callous edges, it has been used
with advantage, though where the cancers were much
connected with the lymphatic system, or accompani
ed with a fcrophulous habit of body, it has always
failed, and sometimes done evident mifchief."
CONVINCED of the advantage which students in
medicine may derive from attending a course of
l anatomical and chirurgical lectures, where the prepa-
} rations and fubjetfs are more numerous and complete,
than they can usually be found in the possession of one
person, and desirous to promote the general utility,
by commencing, what in future, may possibly merit
the name of an Anatomical Museum; the fubferibers
propose to deliver regularly, every season, two course
of ANATOMICAL LECTURES, each course
concluding with chirurgical operations and observati
ons, agreeable to the mode at present praßifed in dif
ferent halls in Europe.
The emoluments arising from this undertaking will
be principally expended in obtaining the most approved
instruments, the belt prepared fubjefts, and every
other apparatus necessary to accomplifli their design,
I and render it a permanent benefit to society.
I The attendants on these lectures who comply with
I the terms proposed, may acquire the means of fur-
I nifhing themselves with anatomical preparations, as
I the art of injecting will be studiously attended to, and
I communicated to them without reserve.
The introductory lecture will be read on Monday
I the 23d day of October instant, at the hospital in thii
I city.
RICHARD BAYLEY,
WRIGHT POST.
: New-York, October it, 1786. iw