The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1786-01-16 00:00:00, page 3

the N. E. and the lower driving with great rapidity
broken misty clouds towards the S. W. and that the
rain-water which fell on Sunday during those gusts
was almost black. As these wonderful phenomena
have been the fubje& of much conversation, and given
rife to various conjectures, we flatter ourselves some
of the curious, drilled in meteorological observations,
will furnilh us with their opinions thereupon for our
next.
Nays. Messrs. Nicoll, Garritfe, A, Clark, Marsh,
Schuurman, Bonney, Bunn, Kelly, Biddle, Lambert,
Houghton, Cook, Starke, Arnold, Hankinfon, Beard-
Ilee, Longdreet.
Yeas. Messrs. Blauvelt; Combs, R. S. Smith, J.
Smith, Cooper, T. Clark, Sinnickfon, Hall, Sharp,
Baker, Swain, Burgin, Bowen, Sheppard.
And several amendments being agreed to in the
house,
Ordered, That the said bill be engrossed.
On motion,
Refolded, That when this house adjourn the pre
fect fitting, they will adjourn to meet the 15th day
of February next.
Revived, That when this house meet on the 15th
day of February next, they will meet at Trenton.
(To be continued.)
$ ^-— I :. ■■?"i <fo^ :=— —^
American Intelligence.
Q,U E B E C, October 20.
On Sunday the 9th instant, between four and five
in the afternoon, an uncommon darkness was per
ceived here, though at the fame time the atmosphere
over this city appeared of a fiery, luminous, yellow
colour; this was followed by squalls of wind and
rain, with severe thunder and lightnings which con
tinued most of the night, a thing uncommon here at
this season, it having froze considerably the night be
fore.
On Saturday the 15th, about 15 minutes after 3
in the afternoon, it became darker than it had been
the Sunday before, and the Iky of much the fame
colour ; it was succeeded by a heavy shower and very
severe thunder and lightning.
Sunday morning, the 16th, was quite calm and
foggy tin about 10 o'clock, when there arose some
wind from the eastward, which partly expelled the
fog; in about half an hour after it became so dark
that ordinary print could not be read within doors;
this was followed by a squall of wind and rain, when
it brightened up again. From five till about ten mi
nutes after twelve, the darkness was so great that the
minitters in the Enghtli and Presbyterian churches
were obliged to stop till they got candles. From
two o'clock till about ten minutes after, it was as
dark as at midnight, when there is no moon-light.
From 43 till about 50 minutes after three o'clock,
it was total darkness; and from 35 till 45 minutes
after four it was very dark. The people in this city
dined by candle-light, and spent a part of the after
noon in lighting up and extinguishing them. Each
period of darkness was followed by gusts of wind
and rain, with some severe claps of thunder, and the
atmosphere looked as before described. It was re
marked, that on the days before-mentioned, there
appeared to be two adverse currents of air, the up
permost impelling a luminous strata of clouds towards
Yesterday arrived his majesty's packet-boat Ante
lope, captain Kempthorn, in eight weeks from Fal
mouth: In her came passengers, fir John Johnson,
bart. with his lady and child ; colonel Johnson, of the
royal artillery, and his lady; major Ross, of the
34th; captain Keith, of the royal artillery; captain
Graham, of the 65th, and ensign Barckly, of the
34 th -
Oft. 27. Friday morning last, about ten o'clock,
brigadier-general Hope, commander in chief of his
majesty's forces in this province, arrived here from
Montreal, when he was saluted by the cannon of the
garrison.
On Sunday the 16th inst. the air was darkened by
a thick fog, which dissipated about ten o'clock. The
atmosphere was of a luminous fiery colour. About 2
o'clock in the afternoon, it became dark by degrees,
in such manner, that about half an hour after two,
people could not fee one another in the houses. This
lasted twenty minutes, and was followed by light
ning, thunder and rain, which gradually diminished
the darkness; it was however very difficult to read
without candle-light at three o'clock. This period
was of short duration, for the darkness came on again
at 7 minutes past three, and it grew by degrees as
dark as before; insomuch that no night ever was
more obfeure than it was at this time. The black
clouds dispersed about 14 minutes past three; but
lightning, thunder, and a heavy rain, continued till
about half after five.
Do^or Setre, who resides in this city, fays, that
having perceived the rain-water that fell during the
shower, to be of a black colour, he smelt it, and find
M ONTRE A L, October 20.
Extract of a letter from Bedford, dated Novem
ber 4, 1785.
" This idle hour I will employ in giving you some
account of a great discovery lately made in hydrofta
ticks, by a mr. Allen, from Martha's vineyard—A
man of good natural abilities, but who never had any
advantage of philosophical ttudies, or other than com
mon education. By accident, he was led to attempt
the important trial of separating frefh from salt water,
and has succeeded in a wonderful manner: he informs
me, that with his present machine he can separate
one hundred and twenty-eight gallons in twenty-four
hours; and that he is now conftiufting one 011 the
fame principle, capable of producing between seven
and eight hundred gallons in that time.
" How inconceivable its utility to mankind! Ships
may be furnifhed with daily supplies of frefh water
at a very small expence and trouble ; and the freight
of water in navigation, in th,e present mode is enor
mous, particularly on long voyages, and in transport
ing live stock. Ships to India are one third loaded
with water. Destitute islands may be supplied by
this method. And what I conceive fully equal to ei
ther, is the manufacture - of salt; whereby we may
lupply ourselves without importing; as by this easy
and quick process, the frefh water may be separated
so effectnally, that the remainder will cryflalize almost
immediately—and I dare prognotlicate, that many
other eminent advantages will be derived to this and
succeeding generations from this discovery.
" He has communicated as much of the secret (re
serving intricacies) as has convinced a learned Do&or
Weft, of this parish, of its feafibility : he is to under
take for mr. Allen to lay it befoie the American aca
demy of arts and sciences at their next meeting. If
they will secure to him a premium, which he may
think adequate to its importance, and his merits, he
will divulge it to them; otherwise he proposes for
Europe.
" I am informed that mr. Allen, when a boy, on
a whaling voyage, approaching very near to a water
spout, he observed the circumfluous waler to have the
exact colour of frefli water, down to the very furface
of the sea ; and as the rain which poured down from
the cloud above was frefh, he had no doubt but the
Separation took place at the furface, before drawn up :
this firft gave him an idea of this noble project, with
out having even one principle of the hydroftatick
laws. The hypothesis, that the salt water is drawn
up to the clouds in water-spouts, and there by a cer
tain operation of the air, while it is expanding, and
dispersing in the clouds, is separated from the saline
particles, must be exploded, by this, and several other
new theories.—From what I can gather, by the cha
racter and conversation of mr. Allen, both his theory
and machinery must be very simple.
" I ihould conjecture, by some peculiar tempera
ture an action of the air on the furface, he produces
the effect to fink the grosser particles, while the pure
and fubtile float on top, to be received free from salt.
Whatever may be the method, I am sure it must be
simple, and therefore it will be much more ufeful to
mankind. —He assured me, the apparatus may be made
complete for a trifle, will wear (as his own phrase is)
" as long as stem, keel and stern poll of a Ihip," and
be very little liable to derangement.
" You have lately heard the lectures of the celebrat
ed Doctor Moyes, on water-spouts, I believe you
will never be able to reconcile his darling theory to
this di^very; although as yet we can only conjec
ture, but I dare fay, mr. Allen has as little know
ledge of the laws of the electrical fluid, as of the
doctrines of Confucius or Zoroaster. I hope the learn
ed president of the academy of Arts and sciences will
open a correspondence with mr. Allen, and by some
promise of reward to his heirs, induce him to com
mit the whole in writing, that in case he ihould die
before the negociation is finiihed for the purchase of
the secret, mankind may not even run the hazard of
loling so invaluable a discovery."
N E W-Y OR K, January 2.
The Richmond, Greene, from Newport, and Lot
tery, Mann, from Baltimore, are arrived at Alex
andria, in Virginia.
The brigantine Sophia Magdalena, capt. Yfbrand
Groof, arrived the 29th of October last, at St. Crux
de Teneriffe, from Hamburg; from whence the is to
fail about the ill of December for Philadelphia.
A lift of letters remaining in the Pod-Office in Tren
ton, January 5, 1786.
(A) David Adair, Sussex.
Jacob Arnold, Esquire, 2.
(B) Thomas Brooks, Hackets-Town.
William Bowman, Atfion.
James Burrus, Trenton.
James Brown, do. 2.
Mary Brion, do.
Christopher Benwick, Corycls.
(C) Charles M'Cayee, Maidenhead.
Hannah Chaimberlain, Hopewell,
ing it had a fulphureous finell, he placed in the mid
dle of his yard a muslin handkerchief in the form of
a funnel, at the bottom of which he found a black
sediment; having rubbed it between his fingers, he
found that its smell was owing to no other cause but
the fulphur which composed its substance. Hence
he is of opinion that the only cause of this phenome
non was the inflammation of some neighbouring mines,
whose thick finoke being condensed in the air, was
driven by the wind over this region.
BOSTO N, December 22.
Anny Carnes, Sussex.
Daniel Clark, do.,
Aaron Cowling, Six Mile Run.
James Collyer, Eatton.
(D) Mary M'Donald, Allentown.
Thomas Dick, Vally-llill,
(E) John English, Burlington.
Jacob Eckman, Mufconetcong.
(F) Frances and jeremiah Harris, New-England-
Town, 3.
Samuel Frances, New-Jersey.
David Frazer, Esquire, Hunterdon.
(G) James Gliffon, West-Jersey.
Robert Gilbert, Mount-Holly.
(H) Rev. Oliver Hart, Hopewell.
George Hastings, Taunton.
Saunders, Mill-Hill, Trenton.
James Hutchinson, Forks Delaware.
(L) John Lee, Esquire, Mount-Holly.
John Lowrey, Amwell.
DoCtor William Ledlie, Eafton.
(M) William Menagh, Elfinborough.
Mullin, Esquire, Mount-Holly.
George Mitchel, Burlington, 2.
John Miller, Trenton.
John Mullen, Union.
Edward Morrison, Bordentown.
Andrew M'Lane, Sussex.
George Mitchifon, New-Jersey.
James Maxwell, Trenton.
Hugh M'Kay, Trenton.
Charles M'Koy, Maidenhead.
(N) Thomas Norris, Esquire, Salem.
(O) John Owen, Mount-Holly.
(P) Robert M'Philomy, Kingwood.
John Peirfon, Trenton.
Robert Parrifl), NewJerfey.
William and Matthew Patterson, Trenton,
Benjamin Prall, Amwell.
(Q) Samuel Qjay, Allentown.
(R) Jacob Richardson, Trenton.
Kitty Rhoads, Trenton.
Peter Rockefellar, Amwell.
Mrs. Riche, Bordentown.
Thomas Riche, New-Windsor.
William Robins, East-Town.
Doctor John Ross, Mount-Holly.'
DoCtor Nathan Ramond, New-Jersey, 1/
(S) Edward Singleton, Bird's Works.
Joseph Sergeant, Trenton.
Benjamin Swett, Cooper-Hill, 2,
Joseph Smith, Trenton.
(T) Jacob Terhune, Esquire, 2.
John Tyler, Union.
David Thompson, Mount-Holly.
John Turner, Kingwood.
Niel Towland, Forks of Delaware.
(W) Colonel Richard Weftcot, Egg-Harbour.
John Wilkins, Esquire, Gloucester.
(Y) Andrew York, Elfinborough.
BENJAMIN SMITH, D. P. M.
**"' laws feafed at the lajl fitting, the votes and
proceedings of the assembly, and the journals of the le
gislative-council, are printed, and read, for delivery.
TO BE SOL D.
About ten thousand acres of ex
cellent patent land,
IN Fayette county, in the state of Virginia, on the
waters of the Kentucky river.
ALSO twelve thousand acres of prime land, in
Harrison county and state aforefaid, on the waters
of Monongahela river, and within a few miles of the
county town called Clarkfburgh.- Cafn, good
bonds, final settlements, or country produce, will be
taken in payment. For further particulars enquire
of Joel Gibbs, merchant at the Black Horse, or of the
subscriber in Water-street, Philadelphia.
RICHARD MASON.
Jan. 14, 1784. 4 w
TO BE SOLD,
JACOB HILTZHEIMER,
IN PHILADELPHIA,
A FULL-BLOODED brown horse, between
and 6 years old, 16 hands high, well Ihaped, got
by the late Mr. Wilson Hunt's horse, called
Walhington, and his dam by old Juniper, his size
makes him fit to get either fiddle or carriage horses,
N. B. If not fold by the middle of March next,
he will be put out on shares for the ensuing season.
Philadelphia, Jan. 9, 1786. low*
TO BE SO L D,
A LOT of land, situated and lying in the county
of Middlesex, within 2 miles of Princeton, op
polite col. Scudder's mill. There is on said lot a
dwellinghoufe, 2 Tories high, with 3 rooms and a fire
place on the lower floor, and two rooms with a fire
place on the second, with a convenient garret over
head. . A Spring of good running water near the door.
Likewise a convenient barn 22 by 32 feet, and covered
with cedar. Said lot is that whereon Ezekiel Forman
formerly lived and kept a flore, and would be a most
excellent stand for either merchant or tradesman. For
further particulars enquire of the subscriber, living
on the premises. ' NICHOLAS HIGHT *
Dec. 27, 1785. 4w*