Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-04-18


Captain Becchy of HE Blossom. and others,
and living without any Chief or GOVERNOR
Whalcrs frequently visit them for supplies
of vegetables. of which ihcrcis an abundance
of varnus kinds. Pigs aud goats are scarce.
and seldom killed by the natives, with avlew
of Increasing their stock. 1t may be inter
es,ing to the curious. TO know that piece
ofihe bell Of the Bounty was brought ho,nr
by Capt. Steele. A highly interesting nc
count of the mutiny aud a description ol
Pncoirn's Island, may be found IN the 3ls'
number OF Ilarpers Family Library.
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New ENGLAND School FOR THE
/ IBLIND.-Thc Seventh Annual Report
Of this Institution, has recently been
published. We subjoin few extracts t;
In relation to Me school, it is stated
by avoiding fatigue, giving short les
sons, and frequent recesscs, the teach
ers succeed in imparting much know
ledge to the pupils. In spite of the diff
fculty arising from their having ono
avenue TO the mind closed, it is said
they can advance in almost every
branch of study about as fast as those
children that can see. The whole
number regularly attending the school,
is sixty. OF these, lifty-two can read
the books printed in raised letters, ten
boys and fifteen girls can write legi-
bic hand; all, above eight years of age,
are well grounded in the elementary
studies Of grammar, arithmetic, ant
geography, and some have made re-
spectacle advances in natural philoso-
ply, algebra, geometry, and astronomy.
The study Of music, as a science,
occupies n large portion of time ofsome
of the pupils. Nearly all of them can
sing; forty-fve can play on the piano
forte; and eighteen perform tolerably
well on the organ.
i The following interesting account CT
Laura Bridgman, female who is cut
off from all communication with the en-
ternal world, excepting through the
medium of The touch, is extracted from
this interesting report
"It may be remembered that in the
report of the last Board, particular men
ton was made of a deaf, dumb, and
blind girl, named Laura Bridgman, then
pupil, and promise was given Of far
ther notice OF her case.
1t has been ascortaincd beyond the
possibility Of doubt, that she cannot SCI
ray Of light, cannot hear the least
sound, and never exercises her sense
of smell, if she has any. Thus hel
mind dwclls i'm darkness and stiffness,
as profound rs that OF a closed tomb at
midnight. OF beautiful sights, and
sweet sounds, and pleasant odors, she
has no conception; nevertheless, she
seems as happy and playful as bird or
a lamb; and the employment of her in
tellectual faculties, the requirement OF
a new idea, gives her vivid pleasure,
which is plainly marked in her express
sivc features. She never seems to re-
pine, but has all the buoyancy and
gaicty of childhood; she is fond of fun
and irolic, and when playing with the
rest of the children, her shrill laugh
sounds loudcst of the group.
When left alone, she seems very
happy, if she has her k hitting or sew
ing, and will busy herself for hours
| she has no occupation, she evidently
amuses herself by imaginary dialogues,
orrecalI:ng past impressions; she counts
with her fingers, or spells out names Of
things which she has recently learned
in the manual alphabet ofthc dcafmutcs.
in this lonely self communion she rca-
sons, reflects, and argues if she
spells word wrong with the fin
gers of her right hand, she instantly
strikes it with her left, as her tcachc,
does, in sign of disapprobation; if frigh,
then she pats herself upon the head,
and looks pleased. She sometimes pur-
poscly spells word wrong with the left
hand, looks roguish for mGmcnt and
laughs, and then with the right hano
strikes the left as if to correct it.
During the year she has attained
great dcXtcrity in the use of the manual
alphabet of the deaf mutcs; and she
spells out the words and sentences
which she knows, so fast and so deity
that only those accustomed TO this Ian
guagc, can follow with the eye the rap
id motions Of her fingers.
But wonderful as is the rapidity with
which she writes her thoughts upon the
air, still more so is the ease aud accu
racy with which she reads the words
thus written by another, grasping then
hand in hers, and following every
movement of their fingers, as letter af-
ter letter conveys their meaning to hel
mind. 1t is in this way that she con-
verses with her blind playmates, and
nothing can more forcibly show the
power of mind in forcing matter to it.
purpose than !. meeting between them
For, if great talent and skill are neces
sary for two pantomincss to paint then
thoughts and feelings by the movements
of the body, and the expression of the
countcnancc, how much greater the
difficulty when darkness shrouds then
both, and the one can hear no sound
When Laura is walking through a
passage way, with her hands spread
before her, she knows instantly every
one she meets, and passes with sigi
Of recognition ). but it it be girl of her
own age, and especially if one of her
tavoritcs, there is instantly bright