Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-05-06

never before noticed in the United States
and probably never at so low latitude
as As. he coldes, weather we recol-
lect to have heard OF, in this country, was
$50 below zero Atel.
The following is an extract Of a letter
from Dr. BATES, Of Fort Covingtop
Wednesday February 26,
SIR:
Yesterday morning, before sunrise,
the mercury in my thermometer (Which
is accurate) fell 10 80 degrees below &c.
70. AT noon, yesterday, il stood al le.
This morning, a, A o'clock As minutes,
il fell to 40 below zero, where it re-
main ed till about half an hour after sun
rise.
81 put about half an ounce Of pure
quicksilver (mercury) in teacup: I
also put about the eighth 81 an ounce Of
the same I'M clear phial, laid them " it'll
my thermometer on dry board, on the
surface OF the snow, about level. The
mercy in both these articles froze solid
as zinc, and rem aimed so from 4 o'clock
till the sun was half an hour high in tho
morning. The mercury in the ,eacup
broke, by jarring it, into Eve or six
square edged pieces as square as glass
would break"
A man $50 we are told) took his whis-
key bottle from his pocket, and found il
frozen and burst! However, with literal
Gang froid, he pulled OF the glass, and
ate the whiskey.
Ercessive Cold.-On Cape Diamond,
at Quebec, 1t is well ascerianed that tho
cold was at 40 degrees below zero ON
the Is, March.
A very luminous comet, with largo
train is said to have teen seen in Middle
town, Comm on the morning OF the
2ls, Feb. about an hour before sunrise.
1t was in The eastern part OF the horizon,
and continued visible until within short
time Of the rising Of the sun. 1t IS pro-
bable that it is the same comet, OIL it's
return, which appeared las, autumh.---
A light appeared in the heavens al half
past six, A. M. in an easterly direction,
which fell in an angle OF 40 degrees to
the earth, and left path OF light, which
remained half an hour, or Until obscurcd
by the light Of the sun.
SOUTH.AMERICAN INDIANS.
The destiny OF the Indian races in
| Spanish America has been widely and
| rem ark ably different from what it is in
the United States. Here the aboriginal
nal,ons have little or no physical weight
in the progress OF events, and are SCAT
tered, in weak tribes, over the face OF Tho
land, wiiherlng and dwindling daily be-
lore the overpowering beams oil civiiiza-
ton. There they cons ituc large and
important element in the population, ag-
gregated into powerful masses, capable
by themselves alone oil exerting decided
influence upon affairs, and holding, whe-
Their as independent communities, or as
the subjects Of the Spanish American
rank in the scale OF public estimation,
from which no conceivable change Of dy.
nas,es or governments can cast them
down, and possessing importance which
the late revolution has powerfully con-
tributcd TO strengthen and perpe,uate.
or the independent nations, like the
Araucos, the Abiponians, and the various
other tribes in the vast interior regions
os the continent, who have never bowed
the neck under the Spanish yoke, the
spirit, yigor and mum bers are we'll known
to be far from contemplate. The pos
session oil that noble animal, the horse,
especially, by bestowing pastoral habits
on the wanderers Of the immense savan-
nahs Of the south, has communicated an
energy and power OF sorcible and rapid
impression 10 the movements Of the In.
dians, through the means of which,
should they ever become concentrated by
any common point Of union, they would
infinitely surpass, in barbaric spIendoy,
the achievements Of the ancient Peruvi-
ans and Mexicans. With these Arabs
Of the west compare the Creeks, the
Cherokees, and other tribes in the Unit
ed States, who, hemmed in BY our fixed
population, have no resources but either
to adopt the manners Of their civilized
ncighbors, to be gradually extinguished,
or to ny with the feeble, remnants Of
their might beyond the Mississippi; and
how striking is the relative consequence
of the South Americans These nomad-
ic nations therefore, who sweep the ver-
dant plains Of the south, on steeds tame-
less and swift as the winds, uniting the
errant propensi,ies Of the Indian hunter
aud the Tartar horsemsn, are peculiar
objects Of interest TO the philosophic Oh
server Of events intrinsic 10 America.
e H. To-