The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-10-24
Fcam lie Nm. YnrE Gn-eite

] journal.
! the article below, entitled .'The Yankees Visit t,
/ Sir Joseph Banhs.' 1t bears internal evidence O
truth, and therefore send it to you for insertion
/ AT what period the visit took place. cannot tell bu
! 1t must have been much as five and twenty years
| ago Mr.. Shacktord, the Yankee is l believe, now
living in the western country, and used to possess al
the marks OF eccenricy ascrlbed to him in the inter
| view. His son now commands ship from this port
Previous to the visit to Sir Joseph, be built, pur
chased, a small vessel in which he embarked alone
for and navgateG to, Great Britain, and the
IN which he describes the voyage is the same that
have heard from his townsmen When he arrived in
port he was supposed to be prate-that he had muir
dered the of the vessel-and was arrested. He
produced his shipping paper, which contained Que
name only and other documents to prove his proper
character, and it was not till after persons in
England were found who knew him in this country,
that he set at liberty He made his return voyage
to America i'll safety and is supposed to be the only
person that crossed the Ocean without com
panion T.
The Yankees Tisit TO Sir Joseph Banks.-Sir Joseph
Banks, hearing that there was man in London who
had crossed the Atlantic in boat alone, desrous
of seeing him, and got some Americans TO 90 to the
hotel, and contrive ways to bring him to his house.
This easily effected. Shackford in company with
Capt Follansbee. paid Sir Joseph visit They were
asked into room devoted to natural history. Shack
ford looked around, and was pleased to many
things which so many real curiosities, preserved
WELL AT last he young crocodile in tub OF
water and took notice of him, as he appeared, a
bove, and now below the surface. Sir Joseph soon
made his entry. is this Mr. Shackford who crossed
the Atlantic in open boat" inquired Sir Joseph
yes SIR was the reply Il have done that, sir what
were your sensations in the middle OF the ocean,
lone 7? the next inquiry.
'Why, sir suppose you mean to ask me how felt
on my voyage was sometimes dry and drank |
was sometimes hungry, and ate was sleepy, and
| dozed little that was easy, for had nice cuddy
and fixed a tller there and slept with my helm in
my hand-and there great difficulty in that
what mathematical instrument had you? the
next inquiry. why compass and an axe, pair of
pistols and sword that Gen. Pulawski gave me-
How was you sure you right in your course p
Il was not sure, but guessed that was right,
steered east when | had got pretty well up to the
north and that knew would take me to England, or
somewheres thereabouts, and that was right enough
for one whose time was his own, and who owned the
craft he was in and had plenty of provisions on
board
you have, SIR said Shackford "a fine omnium
gatherum here what are you going to do with the
crocodile YOU rot there 2 | am about preparing
paper to read before the Society, upon his habits
and nature which shall read tomorrow. Do you
know any thing about the animal, Mr. Shackford =
Il lived three years in the w Indies where they
as thick as grasshoppers sHave you heard their
to entice and allure travellers to to them
in order, as writer's in natural history have mention
ed, that they may them their prey nquir-
ed the philosopher No, they did any such
thing, for, good reason, they have no tongues TO
make clear sound with and they cannot make
noise, except of bringing their jaws together
They move the upper jaw, and somehow bring it
down with great force, and single sound proceeds
from this but how can thing moan without
tongue? Look into his mouth, and you will find that
he has more tongue than the great elephant saw
the other day in this city
Why, said Sir Joseph you do not mean that an
elephant has tongue? Yes, do replied Shack
ford, mean to say that he has no tongue and what
does he want for, as he has such thing at the
end of his nose by which he feel thing nice
ly alady IS finger could, and then ii sledge
hammer to knock ones blains out with! How do
you know that to be fact, inquired Sir Joseph, that
he has no tongue ? Why in the best way in the
world; looked into his mouth until satisfied of
the fact and then stood to in my mind, that
he did not want one, with fine tool as he has for
the purpose of hands, tongue, and sword well,
said Sir Joseph not little mortified, the crocodies
very ferocious and dangerous Why said
Shackford they have a good large mouth of their
and uglylooking set of teeth but very seldom
attack man very slight splash in the water gen
orally frightens them off Once in while they catch
young negro in the water, the old ones don't mind
them any more than musquetoes. Sir Josephs paper
would not do; all his ornament of that wondrous
moaning, and great ferceness, at last had opposers-
To end the conversation, and HE off to the tower,
to Exeter Change to see the elephant was now EVIL
IDENTIFY Sir osephs wish, but Shackford seemed in
hurry to 90. Sir Joseph in trying to hide his impa-
thence made several hasty inquiries
Did you ever see a collection like this before p
No said Shackord the nearest like it, is at my bar
bers shop, the other side of the water-He had
stuffed alligator the skin of dog fish, several hand
lizards and the head of catamount the last he
set most store by, that gives him opportunity,
once week, to tell the story of the animals having
jumped from tree to tree with child in his mouth
have heard the story hundred times and he never
told it twice alike. ! don't much about seeing
these altogether but love see them in those parts
where they natural; and that is one reason why
rove round the world So Mr.. Shackford, what
books do you carry with you your voyages and
travels 2 The Bible, sir, Watts Psalms and Hymns
and Robinson Crusoe, not many others. | looked a
round and read the book of nature and generally pick
ed up something worth remembering, the reply.
i should think said Sir Joseph that you would
find many things that would puzzle you in your re
searches. do, said Shackford, and does every
man ever Now, Sir Joseph, let make plain
what mean you tell me what animal that is of
the Nile which is born with tall without legs and
dies if he to his growth, with four legs without
a tail 2 Sir Joseph pond cred.
why said Shackford, 9 it is frog. When poly
wog he has tail and no legs, but when he becomes a
frog he has four legs without tail placed his birth
in the Nile which deceived you learned sir but you
know the frog is found in every mud puddle in
ton as well the Nile Now, said Shackford Il have
great love for learned men, but they don't know
ry thing. Sir Joseph glad to get rid of the mani
ac who had crossed the Atlantic alone in boat some
thing than his friend Cook had done, when the
navigator and the philosopher quarrelled
Fire-The Lumber Yard belonging to Messrs Hook g.
Co. Baltimore discovered to be fire the 10th, about
half past nine o'clock and continued burn intervals
in the night owing entirely the mpossibty of obtaining
in sufficient quantities TO subdue the flames The fire
supposed have been communicated in the first instance
carpenters shop, adjoining the lumber yard, which was
speedily consumed with all its contents and the flames i'm
mediatey communicated TO the stacks oumbe- in the yard
many Of which entirely destroyed and the remainder
saved by the exerlions of the frcmen, almost with
ont the aid of water On the l7lh about ten o'clock the
handsome block of brick buildings with granite fronts at
the of Green and Lexington Streets belonging 10
Walter Ball. ESQ was seen to be on fire in the roof and in
few the whole ofhe upper stories were Destroyed
The fire is supposed TO have been caused by spark fro
the lumber yard, which was burning during The night
Rail Road.-We understand that the locomotive Engine
extended her trips the line of the Rail Road Yesterday
the 35h mile which distance she up aud down twice