Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-08-12

year 1890, ninety Girls were sent to the |
flrginia planters at one time. A freight
OF sixty more was sent next year. a spe-
cies OF commerce SD highly advantageous,
was not declined by the Planters. The
love of woman, in this instance, complete
iy triumphel over sordid avarice, inso-
much that files of gallant Virginians were
to DC seen, carrying down to the ship,
with hasty step, their bundles of tobac-
co and, after making the exchange, con-
Quoting home their dear spouses
AT first, the piece of wife was est
mated at an hundred and twenty pounds
OF tobacco but as the sale of this precious
commodity was rapid, the price soon rose
to $50 pounds. Indeed it reflects no
small degree of honor upon the generosity
and gallantry of the Planters, that they
should voluntarily give such prices for
their wives especially when it is consi-
dered that king James of England, who
was so bitter an enemy to smoking that
with his ownroyal hand he wrote book
against it. had prohibited the Virginians
from raising tobacco beyond the annual
quantity of 100 pounds each. Under
these circumstances, the purchase of a
wife must have cost a planter fifty per
cent. more than his whole crsp of tobacco
for single year.
1t would seem that some of the plan
ters were under the necessity OF purchas
ing their wives on credit and, in order to
prevent evasions of payment, which otner-
wise might likely have happened, Especial
ly it the found themselves cheated that
he " price of wife should have the pre-
oedence OF allother debts in recovery and
payment, because (says the assembly, of
all kinds of merchandise, this was the most
desiiable.o
The memory of such a remarkable piece
OF history as this, ought, we think, to be
perpetuated by some public monument
AS WOO! IS the staple of Britain, and the
prime source OF her wealth, it has been a
custom, time out of mind, for the first
Lord of the Treasury to sit upon wool
sacil-and, with equal, if not greater pro-
priety, might the speaker of our Assembly
be seated upon sack of Tobacco--seeinS
this od0rlterous plant has not only been
the staple Of commerce in the" ancient
domimon," but also the basis of popula-
ton Petersburg int.
From the London Courier June IS.
astonishing Natural Piienomenon-On
the 9th of August last, while the Males
tic, captain Hayes, was cruising off Bos-
ton, strange figure was perceived in the
eastern horizon, about two O'Clock in the
morning, which, as the sun rose, gradually
become more distinguishable, and, at last.
assumed the perfect appearance of a man.
dressed III short jacket and half boots
with staff In his hand, at the ton of
which was Il colour hanging over his head
marked with two lines, perpendicularIy
drawn at equal distances, and strongly re-
sembling the French flag. The figure
continued visible as long as the rays Of the
sun would permit it to be looked at
On the twenty-eighth, the next day, the f.
CURE displayed itself in the Same posture,
bat rather broken. On the following
morning, it seemed entirely disiointed,
and faded into shadow, until, as last, moth
ing more could be seen than three marks
on the SUMS disk. Captain HAYES, his Of
Ulcers, and about 200 Of the crew, witness
ed the spectacle, both with the naked eve
and through glasses. In superstitutious
tunes, such phenomenon would have been
construed into proyidential warning or
ominous taken of some unexpected event;
IN thls enlightened age, however, it NAV
be easily accounted for by the reflective
power OF the atmosphere, which is well
known to be wonderful. Most PROBABLY
the Inquire represented was some one
ashore, or on the deck of the Majestic.