Oracle post — Portsmouth, N.H., 1804-02-28 00:00:00, page 2

which Makes may be taken fevea er eight feet
figure, perfeftl, true, and half an inch thick ;
and the faurce is inexhaustible.-^- He fays the
praires i^hat country are full of buffaloes, wild
borfes, miles, antelopes, and a remarkable species
of wild hog, whose navals are on their backs.
In afeending the Red river, about thirty miles
from the mouth of it, Black river falls in on the
north fide : this is always a clear navigable
stream, for 5 or 600 miles. About one hun
dred miles up ; , ^ branches, at the fame place,
in three different dheaions. The eastern branch
called Tenfafy is navigable for many miles, af
fords rich land% wh^h is all vacant. The mid
dle .or main breech, called Wafhatta, is naviga
ble five hundred miles, on which is an old Set
tlement, affords excellent lands, salt springs, lead
ore, and plenty of very good mill and grind
stones. The weftern branch, called Catahola,
(on which are 20 or 30 families newly fettled)
runs through a beautiful rich prairie country, in
which is a large lake, called Catahola Lake.—
On this fake are said to be a great number of
salt springs, are very remarkable accounts are
given of the fifh and fowl with which it abounds.
On the river called Ozark, are many valuable
trails of land, some of which are fettled,—'l he
fame of White river and Saint Francois. From
the upper fetdement, at Sans la Grace to the up
per settlement on the Missouri (a distance of up
wards of 250 miles) containing a population of
59 or 6®,000, is a country equal to Kentucky,
or any part of cur weftern territory ; and the
lead and iron mines contained in it render it a
country of vast importance. The extent of
Louisiana being 1500 miles in length, and not
less than zero in width, will admit of its being
divided into four states at least.
Travelling up the Mifliffippi some months ago
I took pains te afeertain the number of sugar
plantations, and the average quantity of sugar
made annually on each. I found 14 below N.
Orleans and 64 above, in all 78, and they avera
ged annually about 75,000 pounds weight of
Sugar, beftdes a proportionable quantity of rum
and molasses. Considerable sugar has been
made in Tuckepa, but I have not been able to
ascertain the quantity ; but in examining that
part of Louisiana that will answer for the culti
vation of sugar, viz. on the Mississippi for 60
miles below New Orleans, and 60 miles above it,
with Terre Bceuf, and the bayau St. John's the
bayau La Folh, Tuckepa, and Quelquechofe, at
least 1000 sugar plantations may be made equal
to those now used as such which might turn out
annually 75,000 hhds. of 1000 pounds weight,
besides a proportionable quantity of rum and
molasses.
The lands on red River alone are capable of
producing more tobacco than is now made in all
the United States, and at lei's than one fourth the
labour ; and in all Louisiana, I think more than
ten times as much cotton might be made as in
the United States. The extreme fertility 01 this
country —the vaR quantities of flour, beef, pork,
tobacco, sugar, &c- which it would yield, with
the productions of its mines independent ^of the
vast quantities of vacant lands, under no claims,
render the acquisition of it to the U. S. of impor
tance almost exceeding calculation.
The weftern boundary of Louisiana is now as
certained, and there are various opinions about
it.—The jurisdiction of the Governor of I ouifi
ana at present ends, and that of the Spanish pro
vince of Taxus begins, about- miles well of
the port Natchitoches, on the red river ; and it
does not appear that there ever was any agree
ment between the governments of France and
Spam, concerning it.—This is a matter of confid
rable importar.ee ; for wherever the lines is, it
must run through a remarkably rich and fertile
country ; and a few miles cither way of so long
a line, is of consequence.
In Louisiana (as in all Spanifli countries) the
Roman Catholic religion is the only one tolera
ted. Some among them (who are Rrongly at
tached to that religion) have expressed to me
their fears, that when the American government
h established over them, they will not be permit
ted to worship as they'pleafe ; but I have assur
ed thera their fears are groundless.
I could add many moreremarks coacerningthis
wuly fine country, but I have already too far
exceeded the limits of a letter. Owing to the
very hasty manner in which this Sketch was drawn
up, lam aware that there are probably many
N errors in it, as relates to grammatical di&ion,&c
but with refpea to the fubliaqce of it, I believe it
is perfectly corred.
I have, from the best materials and informa
tion I could obtain, sketched a map of the south
ern part of Louisiana, and the country to the west
ward of itas far as the river Grand ; which I
believe may have some pretensions to accuracy.
I am Sir,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN SIBLEY.
% ——.— —. ,
From a late London Paper.
Such is the barbarife which pervades the greater part
of Alia, that at the present day, the felling or lending of
women constitutes a prominent branch of internal traffic.
Through the extensive countries of Pegtie, Stam, Assam,
&c. particularly amongst the lower classes, the men make
do scruple of felling their daughters, or even their wives,
to foreigners who go to pass a temporary residence amorgft
them ; and such is the general depravity, that it reflets
no disgrace on any of the parties; neither is the woman
dishonoured by the connadlion.,
In Pegee, this custom has the authority of the law,
which further directs, that a man incurring a debt which
he cannot pay, becomes the property of his creditor, who
may claim the insolvent debtor as his slave, and oblige him
to perform menial ferviee nntikhe liquidates the debt—nor
does the unhappy map always fuffer in his own person a
lone; his immediate relatives arc often included in the
bond, and when that lathe case, are liable to be attached
and fold to difeharge the obligation. The wretchedness
bate which this inhuman law plunges whole families is not
to be described. Innocent women are often dragged from
domeftie comfort and happiness, and from the folly or
misfortune of the mailer of the house, in which they per
haps have no blame, are fold to the licensed fuperintend
ant of the Tackally, who, if they peffefs attractions, pay# a
high price for them, aad reimburses himfelf by the wages
of their profi rtution. la the treatment of the fofter sex,
too Bermana are deflitata both of delicacy aad humanity ;
tihey towflder w&men at Rule superior to the brute
stock of their farms.
The law, too, establishes a most degrading diftin&ion
between the sexes ; a woman is not fuffcred to enter a
Court of Jaftice, but delivers her testimony on the outfidt
of the roof, and it will have but little or no weight if op
posed to the evidence of a man. A woman is not fuffered
to leave the country, merely because they think her expa
triation would impoverish the State by diminishing the
source of population.
In the Nicobar Iflands,the fending of wives is confined to
persons of the fame cast, amongst whom the practice is a
fliverfal.
In the Foggy (hands, the unmarried women alone are
transferable, and this intercourse is encouraged by every
possible means ; and a young woman who has had a child
or two, is moss eftcemed and mod fought in marriage.
When the mother weds, her illegitimate children are left
with her parents.
In Assam, the men have generally four or five wives, ,
and publicly buy, fell, and exchange them.
In Malabar the succession amongst the Princes is not in
favour of their fens, but of their brethren in the female
line,&af the fans of their fitters,who do not marry according
to the generally received sense of the term in other parts,but
form connexions determinable at the plcafure of the par
ties, for the mod part with the Malabar Brahmins (called
Manboorry, and who differ essentially from others of that!
cast throughout India), by whom are thus provided the
heirs toall the Malabar principalities, without, however
the father having or pretending to any paternal claim t<
the children of these cranfitory engagements. The coni
qneffs of Hyder Ally and his son, suspended this lyfteml
but it again prevails, fuhje&s to the occasional intcrfl
once of the India Company on political questions. ,
A foe for libellers fogvaw.-rThe follow vrg extract from
the proceedings in the cale of Williams vs, Taulder, tried
before the learned and moral Lord Kenyon, in, the-year|
1798, will serve as a guide to Courts and Juries, in cases 1
of faits for libels. The principle of the I °glilh Judge is ,
certainly found. It accords with the common sense ofl
mankind, and is analogous to a fettled rule in cases of
Crim. Com,—namely, that no husband notoriously guilty
cf infidelity towards his wife, shall be allowed to recover
any damages against another person guilty of violating his
own bed,
The defence set up in thtefnit was, that the plaintiff,
Williams, being a notorious libeller, was not entitled to
any damages — Mr. Garrow, the counsel for the defend
ant, read a variety of extracts fiom his writings, to prove
him guilty of frequent libels on others ; but perceiving
marks of great impatience in the Jury, he desisted from
reading any further quotations, and addressed the Jury in
the following words.—
"I fee by your countenances, Gentleman that it is unnc
ceffary to proceed any further with this man's infamous
and abominable productions. I will not, therefore, harrafs
your feelings;, let them rest for the present.—But 1 will
appeal to your sense of propriety, —to that of all who hear
me, and aft, whether this common libeller, this vile tradn
cer of honour and integrity, this hireling blatter of youth
and innocence, ffiould be fuffered to come into this court
and ask fatisfadlion for being described under the char
acter he has voluntarily and ostentatiously assumed ?
Should he, who has been proved before you to be the au
thor of works, es which every line is a calumny, sue for
your proteXion under the pretence that he has been ca
iumniated? Shall he fay to you, Gentlemen—l have been
from my youth up earning a scandalous subsistence by vil
lifying my lovcrcigß, insulting his august family, belying
his ministers, traducing his courts of juflice,andflandering
his fubje&s from the highest to the lowest ; give me
therefore ample damages, because this dirty occupation is
not fufficicntly profitable ?
Shall he fay, 1 have violated the car of modesty in my
writings, I have ridiculed the ordinances of our holy reli
gion,! have blafphcmed
[Here some of the Jury got up, and Lord Kenyon de
sired Mr. Carrow to flop, for that more was evidently
unneceffaiy]/
His Lordihip then said, "that it was their duty to con
fider whether the author o r such works as they heard
read, and described, had a tight to call for damages.
"With what face," continued his Lord^ip, “can this
fellow find fault with the publication of J Defendant,
when it appears that the passage here libeled attaches to
him merely as Anthony Pafquin, a name which he has
prefixed to writings of the most infamous nature. It ap
pears to me, that the author of the Baviad has aXed a ve
ry meritorious part in exposing this man ; and I de most
earnelHy wish and hope that feme method will ere long
be fallen upon, to prevent ail such unprincipled and mer
cenary wretches from going about unbridled in society, to
the great annoyance and disquietude of the public."
I'be °%ry, vi^oxt a totients befitaicH, nefrfuUa the
Plairtiffi
*, 'The other aßians, forty la Rurxier, mere all determined
by this cue.
Foreign Intelligence.
LONDON, NOT. 29.
The expeditions, hopes and fears of Invasion, re
main the fame as they have done fortw^ months past
Every day, it is true; ihereates the probability of
ti?e event ; but rhe ftortes of the people bolds equal
pace with ail probabilities.
Great numbers of vessels enter the Texel under
neutral flags, particularly Prussian. In this manner
is Holland supplied with the manufactures of Great
Britain, notwithstanding >ll the violence of French
custom-house officers ; and the heavy penalties of
the law against such importations.
The Batavian Legislature has suspended, until
eighteen months after the peace with Great Britain,
the law which forbids Swedifli veffcls importing
articles not the produaion of Sweden. This is ev
idently done to facilitate the importation of English
manufaaures.
1 French Prisoners.
Letters fam Lord Hobart to the Lords of the ^L
miralty.
1 Downing-street, Nov. 5.
66 Itfy Lords,
" Mr. Sulivan having communicated to me,
Sir Evan Nepean's lettter efthe 31st mlg contain
ing the demand of citizen Noguez, general of
brigade to obtain permission to return to France
on his parole,! am to acquaint yotir Lord-Ships,
that it will be expedient to represent to Gen. No
gues, that, as the island of St. Lucia has been fur
rj cred at diferetion to his Majeftey's forces, he
can have no right to make the demand of permission
to return to France. The indulgence with which
the English commanding officers were disposed to
treat him the other French prisoners of war taken
at St. Lucia, in giving them permission, as a[fimple
a& of favor, to return to France, was founded en
Supposition that the war Should be carried on by
the French government on pie known principles of
former wars.
“ But the First Consul having, tn open violation
of the established usage of a,: civilized nations,
thought proper to detain, as prisoners of war those
,f his Majesty's fubje&6,who had gone to France
during an interval of Peace, gen. Noguez ought to
know, that, until such fubje&s Shall be released, no
person taken inarms, except those who may be reg
ularly exchanged, can have permission to leave the
British tcftitoiic# ; and that for this reefon, he and
a
all the officers of the army anl navy of France, ae:
tually prisoners in England, Should attribute their
detentions solely to the measures adopted by the
firft Consul towards his majesty's fubjeds.
I am, my Lords, &c.
[Signed] “ HOBERT.”
LONDON, Nov. 17;
Traitorous Correspondence
«It may be remembered.that several oftour ad-f
vices from France, published ip the London Jour-]
nals about two months Since, mentioned that a veryl
formidable and numerous body of Irifli were affem- |
bled in and near the city of Bordeaux. Thisl
gang of traitors has been eloathed, fed, and is in.
pay of France, and it is publicly known is deflin-!
tJ to afhft the enemy in his expedition to the Sifter ;
kingdom. Since the period of their enrolment, thel
uncertainty of ^procuring intelligence from their
adive friends in Ireland has been attended with ;
many inconveniences ; it was, therefore, determin-}
ed that all letters addressed to the people in that ;
kingdom, written by the Irish gentlemen at Bour-?
deaux, Should be firft infpeaed by the chief man-|
icipal officer of the department, and then difpatchedj
to a port in Spain, where veflcls were to be pro-]
vided that would land^them in Dublin. On their'
arrival in that city, packets containing th-fe letters !
"were to be delivered to certain people appointed 1
to receive them, and answers returned by the ;
fame conveyance. For some timethib traitorous
correspondence has been carried on with the most ;
complete effect, and is still continued.
"To avoid suspicion, the, Spanish vessels em-|
ployed to accomplish a Steady correspondence be-|
tw^n the rebels in Ireland and thofeat Bourdeaux,;
bavebeco generally freighted with such goods as;
were likely to Secure a ready market , anl, to pre-I
vent the real obj-8 of their voyage from being de.l
teaed, have frequently changed their deftinatipn|
for Liverpool; I whbe Irifli people have been fta-,
tioned, and to whose care the letters from Bour
deuxh've been entruld.
BY MAIL.
CHARLESTON, FEB, 4. 1
A CARD.
FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATEI.
A great fufferer by French Spoliations, &c. begs
leave to afl< as Louisiana is purchased by our gov
ernment, and the payments of these debts stipulated ;
to be made tothe Citizens as a part of thepwehafe,j
why Congress in its wifdoto, makes no mention of §
paying them ? as it would relieve many from abso
lute dillrefs, and numbers from ruin.
Capt. Bunker, in the Blip Romulus, arrived here
last evening in 17 days from Jamaica, in going
through the Mona Passage on the 28 h ult. was
brought too by a Brigand boat, manned by about
40 men of various colours, who robbed hjm of
600 dolls in cash, zoo dolls in stores, rigging, &c.
and they ransacked the ship in every part. Capt. B.
informs that three fcheoners had been taken by
British cruizers and carried in there ; they were
from different ports in St. Doming®, bound home
the names ofthe vessels he does not remember, but
the captains' names were, Williams, of New Bed
ford ; Taylor, of New-York, and Jones of Balti
more. The Batriricore vetiel had ll,coo dollars
on board which were taken from him. Left at
Kingston the brig David and George, ofN. Yo k.
Capt. Brown who arrived yesterday in 26 days
from Sutrinam, informs that that place is still in
pofEffion of the Dutch, and that all kinds of Amer
ican produce were 10w....f10ur was felling at five
dollars per barrel.
New-York, Feb. 13.
Extras of a letter frem & gentleman rtfding in Ceneerd, N. I
Carolina, dated ^an 2J 1804
"Dear Sir,
Your letter of the 19th ult. came fafe to hand I
and agreeable to your request I will give you ,
such information as I am in possession of, on thej
fubjed of the gold mine. Its discovery was I
made early in the month of July, 1803, by a !
small son of Mr. Reeds who was diverting him
felf in Footing small ^fh with a bow.and arrow. |
He discovered a piece near the size of the onej
enclosed, at the bottom of the creek, and imme
diately shewed it to his father. The face of the
country in th6 neighbourhood of this place is for
the mod part very uneven—the foil barren and
rocky. The bed cf the creek where the gold has
as yet been found is composed of perpendicular
strata, of rock running N. E. and S. W—ire the
chinks of which, intermixed with sand, the gold
is found. The flint and a blue coloured rock
prevail. Another kind is found irregularly in
terspersed, perfectly black, and incrufted with a
substance resembling a foot. Another substance
resembling a cement made of tar and sand is
found. This, Sir, is as near as lean give a de
scription of the bed of the creek were, the gold is
found.
The large mass you mentioned loft about fif
teen per cent. Smaller masses loose from two to
five per cent-
The inclofed piece will give you a more cor
red idea of the gold in its natural state, than any
description which I can give. The total amount
found is estimated to be worth between 12 and
15 thousand dollars.
Extraa of a letter from Pott Republican, dated the
4th January iff.
"The times here are truly distressing to the
inhabitants. There are 100,000 dollars to be
raised thisweck'in the following manner : 1,200
dollars from each merchant of the firft class ; 500
from the second; 120 from the third ; 40 from
the fourth ; and all description of persons 4 dol
lars. Those who do not pay are immediately
sent to prison."
— — — re
The schooner Hope, capt. Foster, arrived at
Boston on Wednesday last, in 68 days from Por
tugal, corroborates the news of the purchased
neutrality of Spain and Portugal. The epidem
ic at Malaga continued to rage with unabating
violence, and to afford little hope of its speedy ex-I
tindion. A quarantine of 40 days had been im
posed at Lifoon on all vefcis homing from Ame
rica. 1.
&STON, Fn. 2f:
FIRE.
Abeat nve o'clock on the morning of the 11th inst. tht
dwelling house, (hop and printing-office occupied by Mr.
Peter Edes of Augusta, in diftridt of Maine was discovered
to be on fire. The flames had progressed so rapidly, that
the building with all his effe&s were entirely confuraed,
except a few articles of household furniture and part of his
printing materials. So distressing an event compels a re
fpe&able family to receive relief from the benevolent and
charitable. This, by his immediate neighbours, h>s been
partially afforded, to the extent if their ability, but by no
means adequate to compensate the losses fuftaiued.
Mr. Edes is a native of this town, in which he a long
time resided. When ha removed, about eight years finca
to Augusta, he established a refpe&able newspaper in that
place, which, under the pre(Ture of many embarrassments,
he has, with persevering induftry^ continued to support.
Finding that his press alone was ihfufficienc tcrobtain fup
poit for a family including 8 children, he, by the assistance
of friends, lately procured an assortment of goods, by the
sale of which he expeded to derive some additional income
He has now loft his chief means of subsistence, not only
for the present, but for many months to come. It will re
quire time as well as money to obtain new types and a
printing press.—He has lofthis winter -stock of provisions,
most ofhis household furniture, and his whole afiortment
of goods.—The difeontinuance of a valuable newspaper ia
that part of the country is a loss to the community. The
public mind wi/LreadUy difceiu that this loss must be fpced
iiy repaired, to accomplish which will equally indulge
the exorcise of liberality and patriotism. And it is refpec
fally suggested that the peculiar fixation of this person &
bis family has a chim upon the charity of his native town,
the citizens of Bo3en are celebrated abroad for humanity
to difbeffed Grangers. They mote frequently receive the
feerct and cenfrious applaufcfef their ou^ bofonr, in r&.y
thc wants of their c^ citizens their worthy and unfortu
nate brethren. It is the refinement of benevolence to con
ceal the hard which relieves. It is a sublime delight to
procure the prayers and buffings of the pious and indigent
when the knowledge of the particular obje^ is exclusively
stared by him who relieves, and that Being who has bleft
him with power and difpefition to afford the relief —For
it is not more the design of Providence to visit one with
lafff&ion, than thrt others ffiould be excited to relieve hia
!misfortunes.
, For tie Oracle.
Messrs, Printers,
A FEW days since, I received from Portfi
4 l month, a letter signed “ Philip Carri-
CAIN, jun, Secretary, By order of, the Convention :"
faying among other things," County ekaions.
Committees were chosen corffling of cue or wore per
; fins from each town, of which you Sir, were duly
\ defied one." As I profefs not to be of the fame
feft as the Members cf this Convention, the ho
nor of this letter, must have been conferred on
me by miftalnL I with you to make the contents
public, and as thtfeflffyled Republicans have so
often boasted of their pure and immaculate prin
ciples, we might conclude, if we believed them,
they have no ferrets, —no objection can therefore
come from that quarter, on the score cf publici
ty. Ifet the experiment then be made, as far as
the attempt of this grand committee can do it.
Whether' the people of New-Hampshire will fub
rait to the iron-yoke of a secret conclave, a felf
created society, who affufae to themselves the
I right to dictate to the electors; hew they (Lull
ivote for their State Officers. This new fangled
! Directory, put in requisition all the exertions of
their partizans, to use fomethirg mate than f/^ef
wiCcj —their highest efforts are demanded by
this grand committee of election, and corres
pondence—to promote peace order, law, and pure
and undefined Religion, to diiLm ; nate correct prin
ciples, and refore New-Hampshire to her deferred
rank among her filter States of Rhode-lfland,
Virginia, &c. what an outrage, on language, de
cency, and common sense!
I trust thepeople of New-Hampshire will never
I swallow the gilded poison of these principles, n6r
I fuffer a set of men, by any combination whatever,
;to controul the fair expression of the Public Will,
and deffroy the Right of free suffrage—And
! that.they will still cling to the old privileges and
I habits, & vote for men, they know to be boneft, ca
j pable and deferring their confidence. Z.
I- —c
Concord, (N. H.) Jan. to, I^o4.
AT a general convection of the Republican
' members of the General Court of New-Hamp
, (hire, and of a large number of refpeftable citi
zens from the distant parts of the State—which
was holden in this town on the 28th day of De
cember laft—for the purpose of agreeing upon
the proper candidates to till the different offices
within the State for the year ensuing, and for
adopting such a system of measures as ihould ap
pear belt calculated to promote union and har
mony among the Republicans, and for obtaining
the eledion of the advocates of peace, union, and
the confutation.. It was, after mature considera
tion, unanimous, agreed that our highly rcfpe&ed
and esteemed fellow citizen, the long tried patriot!
Colonel JOHN LANGDON,
should again be supported as the Republican can
didate for the office of Governor and that
The Hon. Levi Bartlett, for Rockingham county.
Hon. Joseph Badger, for Strafford.
Hon. Benjamin Pierce, for Hillfborcugh.
Hon. Nahum Parker, for Chef/ re.
Hon. Ezra Bartlett, for Grafton,
be supported as the Republican candidates for
the office of Counfellors, for the refpe&ive coun
ties to which their names are affixed—and that
the following gentlemen be the Republican can
didates for Senators, for the diftrids to which
their names are affixed, viz.
Diftrift No I, General Clement Storer,
2, Nicholas Gilman, efq.
3, Colonel William White,
4, Timothy Dix, jun. cfq.
5, Colonel John Waldron,
6, Nathaniel Shannon efq. j
7 SJ. K. Smith efq.
8, Robert Alcock, efq.
9, Colonel Elisha Whitcomb,
10, General Amaffa Allen,
11, Captain William White.
> 12, Colonel William Tarlton,
and that they do generally and severally receive
the united and undivided support of the friends
I of Republicanism, whose duty it shall be, t» make •
everyhonorable exertion in their powel to effect
their dedion, and that all private piques, person
al diffikes, rivalfhips' and jealousies Should be
'fcrifiq'-i 9 ? : ', "ccafon. trf priwethe pub ic