The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-08-13
WHOLE No. $3.50.

Emperer's into the Sultan's service, received SO
many gifts and aIiberal appointment from his
master, that had he been offered but fourth
part as much by the Greek minister, he would
never have dreamed of quitting the imperial
/ city Mohammed inquired of him whether he
could cast cannon capable of crumbng the
walls of Constant:nople9 1t is in my power"
replied the Hungarian, " to cast cannon of any
cahbre that is DESIRED and grind the walls Of
| Constantinope and Babylon into powder;
will answer for my science extending thus far,
but cannot pronounce to what extent the shot
will range" The Sultan gave him directions
! to proceed with the casting, but not to trouble
himself about the range of the shot, which
should be subsequently determined As spc-
cimen of his skill, Orban cast cannon for the
great tower on the Bosphorean Channel, and a.
trial OF its range was made upon the first vessel
which sailed past without hauling in her sails
A Venetian ship, commanded by one Ricei, was
made use of as target, and afforded satisfacto-
ry evidence of the Perfectness ofthe Casting, IS
well as the range of the shot 1t was struck,
severed asunder, and sunk. The captain and
| thirty of his crew escaped the dangers of the
turbulent current in boat, but on reaching the
shore, fell into the hands of the Turkish garri-
son. They were loaded with letters, and
brought before the Sultan at Didymotchon by
his orders the sailors were beheaded, the cap
\ tain mpaled, and their dead bodies exposed to
decay in the open air This barbarous scene
was witnessed by Ducas, the historian, who was
a resident at Didymotichon at that period
! Mohammed was SO perfectly satisfied with
the founders skill, and the result of the trial,
that he directed the construction of a prodigious
! battering piece, twice as large as the first in
fact, the largest which is recorded in the annals
of the tormentorum hellicorum." 1t vomited
stone balls, twelve spans in circumference, and
twelve hundred pounds in weight, was moved
with great difficulty by fiftypair of bullocks, and
was committed TO the manipulationr of seven
hundred men.
/ When the casting was completed, the piece
was transported to the gate of the palace Dscki-
hGnpun,e Tor the spectacle of the worldly lofty.
| pile, which had Just been finished at Adrianople;
and on this spot it was for the first time, loaded
with infinite trouble. Notice was then given to
the inhabitants that it would be discharged the
next morning it was feared that, without such
a warning, the terror occasloned by its report
might have been attended with the most disas-
( trous consequences. The morning dawned the
piece was fired off, an immense cloud of smoke
/ enveloped the whole city, its thunders were
heard for several hours in the distance, and the
shot buried itself fathom deep in the ground
at the distance of mile from the spot whence
| it was discharged. BY the trepidation which it
spread'lr and wide, this enormous masterpiece
of pyrotechny at least bespoke the gigantic
schemes of conquest, on which the grasping
VI It's OMIeI was lHteUL.
( This cannon, together with two smaller
pieces, which discharged balls of one hundred
and sixty pounds weight, was subsequently EN-.
! ployed at the siege of Cohstantmople, where it
was stationed opposite the gate Of St. Romanos,
which was afterwards deDominated the 60 Cam
non-gate," name it has retained to the present
day. 1t consumed two hours in loading, and on
the first day, was discharged seven times; the
eighth firing was on the second day, when it
gave the signal for an attack. Though it after
wards burst and destroyed its founder, it was
speedily repaired, and continued to be used
seven times day, but without producing the
effects which had been anticipated from it,
! FoH Hammers History Of the Turks.
He who says 81 will sorrow, and will not be
comforted,p is ignorant ofthe law Of his nature.
( he knows not that which is within him. He
cannot dedicate his days to unayaiing regrets
Comfort will visit him in thousand unknown
shapes, and unsupported forms. Sometimes it
will steal unawares into his soul, and brooding
like the Halycon on the billowy waters of his
spirit, they viii become calm. Sometimes like
a thing of life and beauty, it will start up be-
fore him in his path, and he will welcome it to
his arms. Ifjoy is transient, SO is sorrow The
chariot of time, though its wheelsb be noiseless is
ever rolling on its course. Tine world may re-
main unmoved, but to US it is ever changing
| The mountain, which in the morning hides
half the armament from the eye of the mariner
when seen at even tide from the deck of the re-
ceding vessel, seems to have shrunk into a
molehill.
TnE TEMPERATE DRrNKER. know good
old man, who has always looked upon drunken
ness with abhorrence From his youth he has
labored hard, and has drank ardent spirits tenn
perately. He has long been active in the
church of Christ, jealous to incucate its pre-
cepts, and diligent in obeying many of its corr
mandments. AS age is increasing, he feels the
need of ardent spirits but still drinks temporarily I
I He, however, usually drinks temporarily more
! than ten times in day, and often consumes
gallon of ardent spirits in week. If friend
cautions him against drinking, be is grieved :
thinking that he only drinks temperately.-
His temperate draughts increase in number and
quantity, and he win probably go down to the
grave complete sot--yN Y. Observer,
| AFRICAN FUNERAL CEREMONIES. The funer-
al ceremonies of the Serreres, an African tribe
| are singular The corpse being seated, and
richly attred, is thus addressed by relation ,
I" Why will you leave uss Have we not among
us every thing that you could wish for? Who
is the sorcerer, the enemy, who has destroyed
your" Another person, placed behind the
lcorpse, civlly answers for il, that it merely de-
sires to be buried. Explanations of griefthen
commence but as soon as the body is inferred
Joy succeeds; the persons present sing and
dance, and the fete lasts for nine days.
RGvERENcE FOR THE SABBATH. A curious
work has lately appeared in London, entitled
" The Chronicles OF London from 1889 to 1882
II was written in the 18th century. The manu-
scripts we're found in the British Museum. A..
: mong the anecdotes contained in ii is the fol-
lowing in the year 1858, at Tewksbury, a
certain Jew, on Saturday, fell into pool, and
would not allow himself to be drawn out on
Saturday, on account OF his reverence for the
Sabbath; but Richard de Clew, Earl of Glou.