The Litchfield County post., 1827-09-13
From, the ". Y, Spectator,

Weight III SloI0, WHICH Uou HdS PicPdIcu Ava
his servants.
From the N. Y. Spectator.
Atmospherical Re- fraction.--Looking down
the Bay on Sunday last. in the direction of
the Narrows,we witnessed deception of the
sight, which made us think on Cotton Ma
theirs miracles no longer apochryphal. We
aIlude to that by which the early settlers of
New Haven were SO much alarmed. They
had long been expecting the return of a sup
ply ship, on beard Of which were many Of
their friends. At length, on hazy day, they
saw ship in the air, with all her sails bent,
and the illusion was SO perfect that they fan
cied she was in the harbor, making her way
calamity to the dock. When 10 a mast fell
one way, another broke off another way-one
spar fell in this direction, another in that
until at length the whole ship burst to pieces,
and literally Dissolved into thin air. Unhappy
omen no ship nor friends were ever heard
of more. But fancy impaired to the shadow
the exact form, size and appearance OF the
vessel which had been sent out, and whose
return was SO .anxiously expected, and the
prophetic spectre-ship ofcOurse became su-
pernatural revelation, in the mirabiitG of the
voluminous historian of the pilgrim colonies.
The account of the appearance was care
fully drawn up by the Rev. Mr.. Davenport,
the minister Of New Haven. 1t is possible
that the ship itself, Or rather the reflection of
it, by the deceptive effects Of fog and the o.
cean, was seen in the atmosphere, and that
she suddenly, from some natural cause, went
down in the sound before making the harbor.
Such an occular deception was the case with
a ship we saw on Sunday, which was appa-
rently raised so high that line drawn from
it to the eye, would have made an angle Of
thirty degrees with the plain Of the horizon.
1t seemed to be proudly floating above an i'm
mense volume of mist. The state of the at
mosphere at the time of Cotton Mather's,
miracle, was probably the same as with us
on Sunday.--Such illusions are not unfre-
quent ia the artic aud antartic seas. We re-
collect Of reading some interesting accounts,
we believe in Scoreby's narratives, of ships
having been seen by that intrepid navigator
in the clouds. for many miles before the top
mast could be deserted with the hest glasses
from his own round tops. Three or four
wears since, there was an instance of atn10s-
pherical raffaction near Marblehead-an ac-
count of which was published 10 the Boston
Statesman. The letter stated that fields,
trees. and houses were distinctly marked land
eyery shade and hue exhibited. The fashion,
able and romantic island Of Nahant, was like
wise exactly and beautifully delineated, at the
distance of several miles from its real s'tua-
ton. But the most remarkable instance of
atmospherical refraction Of which we have
read occurred at Hastings, in England in
July, 1909. The account before US states
that this continued for three hours. and the
refracting coast, 1.-THE coast of France though
at distance of forty or fifty miles, was plain
" to be seen with the naked eye from the sea-
shore, while at other times it could not be
seen with telescope, on account OF its
lowness. The fishermen who had been in
the coast. pointing out from Hastings, the
places they were accustomed to visit, such as
the Bay, the Old Head or Man, the wind mill,
&c. at Boulogne, st. ValIery, &c. on the coast
of Picardy. From the eastern cliff of Hast
ings. which is of considerable heIghth, the
SPECTATOR could see Dungeness, Dover ellis,
and the French coast from Calais to Dieppe.
By the telescope, the French fishing boats
were plainly to be seen at anchor; and the
different colours of the land on the heighths
with the buildings, were perfectly observable.
The same phenomenon was likewise OBJ
served at Winchelsea, and other places along
! the coast. The day was remarkably not,
| without breath of wind stirring.
( The Morgan Trial.-The recent trials at
the General Sessions for Ontario county, we
have already stated, resulted in the acquttal
of the persons indicted for conspiracy to
kidnap VIM. Morgan. These trials have ex-
cited, as it was natural they should, much in
terest.--an interest which will continue to be
felt more or less. probably. for some time to
come. Although the persons named in the
Indictment have been acquitted. it being prov
ed that they were not concerned in the re-
moval Of Morgan from the goal in CaDanda-
qua or subsequently; yet several additional
and material facts, in relation to the fate
of Morgan, have been elected by the testi-
mony.
1t appears by the testimony Of James Sib-
lev. that ON the nth September last. Morgan
| after having been arrested and brought from
Batavia 70 Canandagus. on charge Of theft
was examined and acquitted before Justice
Chapman. Immediately one ofthe party accu-
sed Morgan of q debt Of So he confessed judg'
ment, execution was forthwith taken. and moi
having bail, he was committed. On the night