Oracle post — Portsmouth, N.H., 1803-12-20 00:00:00, page 2

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Miffifippi divides itfelfmto three channels, which
are called the Pages of the river, viz. the East,
South aid South-Weft Pages. Their course is
from five to fix leagues to the sea. The frace
between is a marsh +ith little or no timber on
it ; but from its situation, it may hereafter be
rendered of importance. The East Pass, which
is on the left hand going down the river is divi
ded into two branches about two leagues below,
viz. the Pass ala Loutre, and that known to
mariners by the name of the Balize, at which
there is a small block house and feme huts of the
pilots, who reside only here. The firft of these
secondary channel contains at present but eight
feet water ; the latter from fourteen to fifteen,
according to the seasons. The South Pafs,which
is direftly in front of the Miffifippi, has always
been considered as entirely choaked up, but has
ten feet of water. The South-weft Pass, which
is on the right, is the longed and narrowed of
all the Riffes, and a few years ago had eighteen
. feet water, and was that by which the large (hips
always entered and failed from the Miffifippi. It
has now but eight feet water, and will probably
remain so for some time. In speaking of the
quantity of water in the Paffesgit must be under
flood ofwhat is on the bar ofeach Pass ; forimme
diately after passing the bar, which is very nar
row, there are from five to seven fathoms at all
seasons.
Country Daft of Lake Ponchartrain.
The country on the east fide of lake Ponchar
train to Mobilla, and including the whole extent
between the American line, the Miffifippi above
New-Orleans, and the lakes (with the exception
of a tra& about 30 miles on the Miffifippi, and
as much square contigious to the line and com
prehending the waters of Thomson's creek, Cay
on, Sara, and the Amet) is a poor thin foil, o
vergrown with pine, and contains no good land
whatever, unless on the banks of a few small ri
vers. It would, however, afford abundant sup
plies of pitch, tar and pine lumber, and would
feed large herds of cattle.
The inhabitants and their Origin.
The inhabitants of Louisiana are chiefly the
defeendants of the French and Canadians. There
are a considerable number of English, and Amer
icans in New-Orleans. The two German coasts
are peopled by the defcendaats of settlers from
Germanny, and a few French mixed With them
The three succeeding settlements up to Baton
Rouge, contain moltly Acadians, banished from
Nova Scotia by the Englfh and their descen
dants. The government of Baton Rouge cf
pecially the east fide, which includes aft the
country between the Iberville and the American
line is composed partly of Acadians, a very few
French, and of a great majority of Americans.
On the weft fide they aie mostly Acadians : at
pointe coupe and Fauffe river they are French
and Acadains —Os the population of the Ataca
pas and Obeloufas, a considerable part is Amer
icans—Natchitoches, on the Red liver, contains
but a few Americans, and the remainder of the
inhabitant' are French—But the former are more
numerous in the other settlements on that river
viz. Avoyelles, Rapide, and Ouacheta. At At
kanfas they are mostly French : and at New-
Madrid, Americans. At lead ? jibs, if net a
greater proportion of all the tettlers on the Span
ilh fide of the Miffifippi, in the Illinois country
are likewise supposed to be Americans. Below
New-Orleans, the populationisaltogether French
and the descendants of Fenchmen.
New-Orleans.
By recurring to the Maps and examing the
position of Louisiana, it will appea-, that the
lower part projects coufiderably into the sea. It
has in all probability been formed by the sediment
brought down by currents and deposited on the
flat coast. There is therefore on the east fide
but a very narrow flip along the bank of the ri
ver from the feato the Iberville. The landis not
generally susceptible of cultivation more than a
mile in depth from the river, the rest is low and
swampy to the lakes and the sea, but in general
abounds with cypress timber which is sawed by
mills, which are worked by artificial flreams
from the Miffifippi, in the time of fredies. They
generally run five months in the year.
What has been said of the east equally applies
to the weft fide of the river. The foil and fitn
ation are nearly the fame. After leaving the
bank of the river, there is an immense swamp
interfered by the creeks and lakes extending to
the high lands of Atacapas, and occepying a
space of| thirty or forty leagues.
The city of New-Orleans, which is regularly
laid out on the east fide of the Miffifippi, in
lat. 32, N. and long. 90 W. extends nearly a
mile along the river, from the gate ofFrance on
the fouth to that of Chapitoul as above, and a
little more than { of mile breadth, from the riv
er to the ramparts ; but it has an extensive su
burb on the upper fide. The houses in the front
of the town and for a square or two backwards,
are mostly of brick covered with slate, or tile,
and many of two stories the remtder arc of
wood, covered with Ihingles. The streets erofs
each other at right angles, and are 32 French
feet wide. The squares between the interfedions
of the streets have a front of threehnndred French
feet wide. There is in the middle of the front
of the city a place d'armes,facing which the church
'andtown-houfe are built. There are from 12 to
1400 houses in the city and suburbs. The pop
ulation may be estimated at 10,000 including
the seamen and garrison. It was fortified in
1793> but the works were originally defective,
could not have been defended, and are now in
ruins'. The powder magazine is on the oppo
site fide of the river.
The public buildings and other public prop
erty in New-Orleans, are as follows.
Two very extensive brick ftores,from i60t0,80
feet in length and about 30 in breadth. They
are one story high and covered with Ihingles.
A government house, stables and garden, oc
copying a front of about 220 feet on the river
in the middle of the town, aad attending 336
feet back to the next ftrocU
A military hospital.
An ill-built c^ftom-houfe of wood, almost in
ruins, in the upper part of the city near the riv
er.
An extensive barrack in the lower part of the
city fronting on the river and calculated to lodge
12 or 14,000 men.
A large lot adjoining the king's Gores, with
a few sheds in it. It serves as a park for artillery.
, A prison, town-house, market-house, alfembly
room, some ground rents, and the common
about the town.
A public fchocl for the rudimennts of the
Spanish language.
A Cathedral church unfinished, and some hew
fee belonging to it.
A Charitable hospital with some houses be
longing to it, and a revenue of ifoo'doll&rs an.
inually,endowed by an individual lately deceafedi
The canal de Carondelet has already been def
scribed.
Number of Inhabitants.
According to the annexed census, No. 2, of
Louisiana, including Pensacola and the Natches
as made in 1785, the who,e number of inhabi
tants amounted 10^2,062, of which 14,275 were
freewhites, 1,303 free people of colour, & 16,544
(laves.
The Ratement, No. 3, from the latest docu
ments, makes the whole number 42,375 —th/
;free whites, 21,244 ; the free people of colour,
1,768, and the Raves 12,910.
A particular statement refpeaing the population
&c. of Upper Louisiana, and another containing
the census of New. Orleans, in this year are num-
Ibered 4 & 5 in the appendix.
These papers Certainly exhibit a smaller num
;ber thanthe real population of the country. From
lan official document, made in July last, and re
!ceived from Atacapas since the statement No. 3,
was formed, it appears that it contained 2,270
whites, 210 free people of colour, (,266 (laves,in
all 3,746 fouls instead of 1,447, as therein Rated.
It is highly probable that the return for the
neighbouring diftrift of Opeloufas, is in the fame
proportion underrated.
A conjectural estimation made by a gentleman
of great refpe&ability and correct information,
residing at Natches raises a number of whites in
the island of New-Orleans, on the weftfide of
the river, and some settlements on the east fide,to
50,150, and the number of blacks to 39,820.
His statement is also subjoined, No. 6.
It is at all times difficult to obtain the true
census of a country and the impediments are en
creafed in this from its scattered population. The
actual enumeration may, therefore, fall short
of the true numbers.
( To be continued.)
— —===^====^^
Late News from Europe.
LONDON, OCT. 2§.
A Morning Paper Rates, that orders have been
given, which are already conpleted, for the making
b of a new Royal Standard of England, with which
we are assured our Gracious Sovereign himfelf has
declared bis determination to take the field at the
head of his armies, fhculd the enemy succeed in
making a landing in bis country. —Should it ever
c^m, . 0 tLi„ &U- L-^a-f -----, —. n :.. #. country
will be with bis Majefty---iheir hearts he has already.
Few will be left at home, except our aged, our in
firm, our women and children.
An express arrived on Sunday morning early to
the custom house, and to Admiral fir J. Colpoys,
Rurt K. 1). Port Admiral, to lay an embargo oh
all Spanish and Portuguete veflels in that port.
The necessary orders were immediately issued to
all our cruizers and letters of marque. Os course a
Spanifli and Portuguese war is inevitable, to the
great joy of all our jolly tars and Royal mariners.
oct. 26.
Accounts from India to the 19th of June last Rate,
that the Mahratta States continued involved in civil
warfare. A voluntary contribution has been made
by Hollear's fubjeds, and by distributing this a
mongst his needy and insurgent troops, he had ob
tained a temporary calm in bis camp.---Large ar
rears of pay however, Rill remained ; and being un
able to difeharge them, a frefli and more serious
mutiny had broken out, and prevailed at the date at
the last accounts. Scindea had profited by the cm
barraffoent of his adversary, and made some move
ments highly advantageous to him.
A letter lately received from the Presidency of
Bombay, Rates that the affairs of Canton are about
to assume their wonted tranquility. The rebellion
is nearly extinguished, after having been fuffered to
continue without any material check for years,
The king has been formally crowned, and acknow
ledged in Tonquin, and has begun his march to his
own capital. The difeomfiture of the rebels is en
tirely ascribed to some intercepted letters which
most miraculously fell into the hands of the King's
confidential Minister. Forty thoufahd men are
, Rated to have fallen on both sides during the con
test. All the king's officers have received badges of
diflinaion for their valour.
A letter lately received from Canton fays: "In
eonfequehce of the success which has attended the
King's arms against the rebels, a solemn day was
observed on the Seventh day of the French moon,
in the famous gardens and palace of Kneatoon.
Silver to the amount of four lacks of rupees was
distributed to the Kboleong (poor devout men)
and otter objeds of charity. All kinds of spices
and rich perfumes were used on the occasion, The
King entered the gardens early in the morning, at
tended by 1000 khofeong or holy men, having the
golden temple carried before him fixed on poles,
and borne upon men's flioulders. On his entrance
he distributed Silver to the amount of one lack of
rupees."
ROTTERDAM, OCT. 20.-..29.
The preparations for the expedition against En
gland, proceed with unabated celerity. There are
5000 troops at Oftend ; ,nd all the towns and vil
lages in the vicinity are full of soldiers. Barracks
for 20 odd thousand are preparing at Dunkirk ;-^
near Abbeville and St. Omers. In the neighbour,
hood of Calais, there is a strong force ; and Gen,
D'Avouft, who commands the diftrid which em
braces Merdike and Ghent, has 60,000 men under
him.
Paris, Sept. 30;
Melancholly Picture.
In the course of the last Republican year ending *
Sept. 23, according to the Report of the Prefect oft
Police to the Grand Judge, four hundred and nine-&
ty men, and one hundred& fixtyfeven women have
committed Suicide at Paris; eighty-one men, fixty
nine women have been murdered, of whom fixty
five men and fifty.two women were foreigners,
Strangers, or have net been owned. Six hundred
and forty-four divorces have taken place. One
hundred and fifty-five murderers have been execu
ted. Twelve hundred and ten persons have been
condemned to the galh'es,to the pillory, or to chains
Sixteen hundred and twenty fix to hard labour, to
longer or Shorter imprisonment. Sixty four have
been marked with hot irons.—Amongst the crimi
nals executed were seven fathers who had poisoned
their children ; ten husbands, who had murdered
their wives; fix wives who had poiloned their
husbands, and fifteen children who had poifened or
otherwise deßroyed their parents.
During the fame period, twelve thousand and
fcventy-fix public women, or street walkers, have
been registered, and have paid for protedion of
the police. Fifteen hundred and fifty-two kept
millreffes are noted and known at the prefecture
of Police, and there hundred and eight public,
brothels have been privileged and licensed by the
Police Prefeft at Paris.
•}»>}»+>•»»•%•&•&» 3 #6+»«+«•s• «««+•>»
By the latest Mails.
WASHINGTON, NOV. 30.
CLAIMANTS under the feveuth article of the Britifo
Treaty, are informed that lifts of their claims, as decided
by the Board of Commissioners in London, have, for their
information, been transmitted to the Collectors of the
Cuftonu in ths principal Ports of the United States.
Department oj State,?
WaJbingtoe, IJ N&veribcr, 1803. j
Washington, Dec.,
Capt. Rogers has brought difpatebes confito:'ng
the account of the confirmation of peace u^h Mo
rocco. Every dilpofition was mile by tec fee?. I
dron under commodore Prebble to ba,er the city of |
Tangiers, hsd the Emperor refilled the terms which j
the Commodore proposed. Not 3 cent of tribute I
has bee, paid ;---the treaty of 1786 is renewed ;- - |
and th: two veffcls taken from the Emperor were §
restored, So much for the efficiency of even the ;
small naval, force now in commission cf those fur-\
nfsed'during the "Wajhmgton and Edams''adminiflra j
tions." In the John Adams frigate, the Hon. Wil-*
liam Smith, our late Minister to Portugal came pas
lenger.
The Secretary of the Navy has received a letter
from Capt. Rodgers dated on board the New -York
frigate, in the Potomac, Dec. 6, 1803, giving '^
particulars of the deftruaion of a Tripolean cruizer
of 22 guns, and 200 men ;-—which Capt. Rodgers
attacked at anchor, near Tripoli; and which was,
after an adion of 45 minutes, dcierted and blown
up.
CHARLESTON, DEC. 15.
Extras of a Letter from New- York.
" Your 8 per Cents, are fold at io3, netting
more could not be got, and it is pre
sumable that more will not be again given for that
flock. Indeed, if it be fairly calculated, 108 is
much above the real value of it, and out of pre
portion to the -prices of other flock of the United
States. A purchaser at 108 gets only 5 2-5 per■
Cent, interest for his money. For the rate of in
terest, fay 8 dollars for 108 per annum, is 7 40 100,
from which dedud the advance of 8 dollars, which
will be funk in 4 years, when the S per Cent, will :
be redeemable ; that is to fay, the puchafer will ;
be losing at the rate of 2 per Cent, per annum for j
the 4 years, which, when taken from the 7 4;,.t00,1
the annual interest a&ually pocketed by the Holder,l
And that the 8 per Cent. Rock will be redeem-|
ed as soon as by law it can, no one will doubt who j
believes that the United States can borrow money
at a lower rate then 8 per Cent. Hence it will ap
pear, if calculation be resorted to, that the real val
ue of 8 per Cents, at this time, is about 10.625-100
and of course, as trie time for the redemption of
the loan approaches, it will proportionably di
minifli. —Furchafers must soon be up to this."
HUDSON, NOV. 29.
Mr. Gallatin has drawn on the Branch Bank
at New-York, in favour of the British minister,
for 800,000 dollars in specie, being the firft in
ftalment on monies agreed by treaty, to be paid
by the United states to Great Britain.
BOSTON, dec. 15.
Commercial Correspondence.
HAMBURG, OCT. 11.
GENTLEMEN — The menaced invasion, seems
entirely to occupy the government and people of
England, to the exclusion of every other obje& it
will be attempted, or the apprehcHfion of it will be
done away, beforethe next (priog ; the approaching
season will compel the squadron at the mouth of
our river to retire ; and it is very generally believed,
that the blockade will not be renewed next yean
The fupplv of foreign goods brought here
through indired channels, has been so inadequate
to our ordinary consumption,that I will venture to
pedid, the return of spring will find our market en
tirely cleared, and price higher than in any other
port of Europe. Although some of the annexed
prices may appear very great, yet I am confident
that when the ice lets in, a further advance of 5 to
jo per cent will take place. If, contrary to gen
eral lexpedition, the blockade of the Elbe (hould
be renewed in the Spring, our market will not be
exposed to depression by great importations from
England. And with an additional expense of
2 4 3 per cent, goods may be brought here thro'
Tunning* )on the Eyder, Kiel or Lubec in the
Baltic ; at all which places, I fliall have an agent,
who will faithfully attend to forwarding such con
signments as may be made to m, order, (which is
the mode of addnffing them, I would recommend)
and from the proximity of these places I can at
tend personally, when necessary. The Port of Lubec
offers much greater advantages than the others to
those who wiflt to load a return cargo of Russia
goods, as they are there to be procured at prices,
very little advanced on the Peterfburgh market ;
and from thence Shippers may have a choice of land
£or water canine to this cits.
ireuru, rcfpeafulty,
G-Tri^rnen, your obed't servant.
John M. Forbes.
'[The BfitiC) Government have probably declared
V. ar Against Spin ^nd Portugal, ere this--.it is a
measure which necessity has undoubtedly imposed
on th^m.
^ The highest prize, (Tee? tnouJand Dollars)
drawn yesterday, against No. 16,848, was fold a
few days since, by Gilbert & Dean, at their Lot
tery and Magazine Office No. 56 State-street.
0
"Natchez, Nov. 17. The Louisiana Treaty
has arrived, with dispatches to Governor Claiborne.
It is said the detachment will leave Fort-Adams for
New-Orleans, in ten days from this."
.The Vice-Prefi&t of the United States has ar
rived at Washington, a^di takes his feat in the Sen
ate. ~——;
FEVER ATMALAGA.
A letter from Gibraltar, received by a late arrival
at Washington, Rates, "That in consequence of a
malignant Fever at Malaga, the Governor of Gib
ralter had prohibited all intercourse ty land with
Spain, and by sea, from Almira, eastward, or to
Cadiz, weft. We hope the heavy rains we note
experience in this quarter will shortly flop the pro
gress of thiidi&le at Malaga.
—o—
—of a letter far . a Gentlemat in the City of
Wafimgtm to hisfriend in New- York.
Wajkington, Nov 3d.
" D^r Sir,
" At the request cf our Chaplain, we had the
. Reverend Dodor Ratt one, formerly at the head of
the Greek & Latin departments in your College and
now ftiGe • >re to officiate on Sunday last.
The Hd: las crowded by both house of Coogrels.
Retook for ..is tec," Bieffed is the man who trust
1 Hie x.?-(l.
^? ^u rt :? a tender & pathetic address to re
ligicu. Ifc revi• 4the grounds pf ebriftian hope
and Louto^ticu, derived from the attributes of God;
fliew/ what it ^^lo trust in heaven; took a wide
range thought c. creation , and taught the vanity of
out e^ri parents. I^ doing this be appealed
to the undemanding.'•
" If:nc< .Jack was the citadel of the heart
It was ft-^rr^a i with fki:L We praised him with
our fee's,
" He pure< ,enu:n* piety, soothing the mind
amidst the hard Struggles of poverty, the pains of
sickness, and I'^ the trying hour of death.
“ With little nutation he then introduced a 1
quot nirm from Shakrfpeare, which had the molt in
imitable %f, ^t such affirming seasons, 'He that
taxes from ^e religion, robs me of that which not
enriches him, yet makes me poor indeed?
" Witu an abrupt Ap^ftrophe, he then addressed
the Infidel, ^ : foe to mm—cruel in the extreme—
an enemy to human comfort and confclatioo.
" After appeafiuz to the hart of the unbeliever,
he then takes hie. . Uy by the hand and leads him
to the Christian's ch.rbe —
" The last earthly Scene was just dosing. We
saw heavenly hope beam through the good man's
look. W heard his confiding language to his
friends tu^ he was about to leave Tue prourect
ofimn< '. • :rip[;incfsbrightned up!-^< ..^ #
cut Lain '4 t and he left the world in : & ;jf?
" Fhe V. # < :d Orator concludes and deli-
I cutely left u• lid; id to his own reflection, but I
could nr droo the fubjea.
' I piaured u looks when he approached the
1* iof death, 1 held him foiling with contempt
i on chriftian crudity ; but when he saw such re
laTy - hope Swallowed up in viaory-his heart was
I affefted, the tear trembled in his eye—he wiped it
I a ? it fell—quitted the room abruptly—l heard him
Ifay 'My God, My God ; Thy truth I muftadore.'
I HYPOTHESIS.
Is it not probable we flrail bavea mild winter
from the following circumflances ?
In the months of June and July, the weather was
extremely warm. At that time the ice broke away
from the regions of the pole and floated down the
Atlantic to the Southward. The latter end of Au
gust and in the month of September, it is well
known that it had arrived in the latitude of New
foundlan^, as the British packet was cast away a.
bout that time by running against a mountain of
ice, in a Northern passage to Europe . Whilst it
was floating down our coafts,'the weather was cold •
and it is probable that the ice which would have ar
rived as usual in our latitudes, during the winter
months, has now passed along and melted away;
It is therefore prefumeable, that as one of the cau
ses of hard winters has been removed, that the ap
proaching one will be comparatively mild. This
may also account for the frofts that have appeared
in some of the eastern Rates during the last summer.
The shores of America are known to be very low,
and of course the continent as far as the mountains
would be easily accessible to that cold air which was
wafted from the ice as it floated along. Although
it was cold in the Weftern country, yet there were
no froft to be difeovered ; which was perhaps ow
ing to the Atlantic winds being measurably broke
in their passage over the Blue ridge and Allegany
mountains. [Kentucky Gazette] °
Concord, Nov. 20.
On Thursday the loth instant, the remains of
Mrs. Jemima Colby, wife of Mr. Archelaus Col
by of Dunbarton, were found about three miles
from his house, in Goffstown. She went from
home in the evening of the 6th of July last, under
symptoms of mental derangement ; and not re
turning during the night, search was made
in the adjoining wood the next day, and repea
tedly afterwards, by the people of that and the
neighboring towns ; but no trace of her could
be found. As (he had been in a declining state
of health for some time before ffie left home, it
is supposed (he must have died soon after. The
clothes whcich she had on were considerably rot
ten, and the principal part of her flefh had con
sumed from the bones; though her nails re
mained perfed. Jhe was lying on the ground,
with her left hand under her cheek—A jury of
inquest was called, but we do not learn their ver
did. Her remains were carefully collected, and
decently interred.