The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-06-21
THE MOST HORRIBLE STORY Ev.
Err TOLD.

and:-
A singular instance of maternal affection
and melancholy misery occurred in this city
few days since. A widow, who, unfortu.
nateIy for them, was the mother of six chill.
dren. found refuge in dilapidacd dwelling
in one nf the lanes. The youngest of her
children fell i'll and died. The whole fam.
iN were in a state of the utmost destitution,
and the disease rapidly mastered the Young
orphans energies. A coffin was begged
Coffin and corpse would have been borne,
perhaps, wihou, the mothers assistance, TO
some graveyard near. ut she had lived at
a distance of many miles from The city; and
IN the burial ground Iher native place her
friends were inferred. The distance was
far; and as few would consent to carry a
coffin containing stranger so far unncces-
sarilv, the poor mother resolved to bear it
herself She actually did so; she had it pla.
ced on her back and slowly and YEARLY she
bore it away, reached the graves of her kin
dred, scrapeda trench, we have heard with
her own hands, and thus consigned to the
earth, where she wished they should rest,
the remains of her offspring. She returned
To her orphans. A second took sick, died
quickly like tie other, like the other was re-
placed in charity coffin. and conveyed in
the same way. by the unfortunate mother TO
the same place of burial, and buried in like
manner by her own hands. She returned
again. A third child took sick, died speed
ly also, was stretched in coffin procured
from the charitable; borne away also by The
sorrowng mother, and inferred near the 9TH
er two by the haplcss poor creatures almost
cxcoriated hands. She returned thIrd
time. A fourth child was i'll; fell a victim as
each Of the others; was cofihed by charity
and carried off and laid by the mother be-
side her three other children. She came
back to her wrctched apartment. A fifth
child was seized with the malady; fifth cof-
fin procured; filth wearisume journey made
alone by the mother and fifth body consign.
ed to the earth, there at all events no longer
to feel the pangs ofdIsease or the slow vast.
ing progress of unale, lated hunger. These
facts were told us by a clergyman who had
them from personal knowledge. We state
them heartrending and appalling as they
are, without the slightest exaSgeration.
There were four corpses lying uninicrrcd
some days past IN the Parish of ST. Mary's
in the CITY. Life had departed in one or two
cases some days before; the bodies were al
most pu,rId, certainly incipicnt corruption
had begun. They lay exposed. because cof-
fins could not he had; and paupers died per-
fectv pennilcss. One body was removed
from the m serable tenement where death
had occurred, aud was stretched on fre
quentcd pathway, with sheet for shroud;
all object fhorror.
TRANSIT OF VENUs-Thc American Phil
osnphicaI Society, and the Academy of Arts
and Sciences. having recommended to the
Secretary Of the Navy, to cause observations
TO be made on The approaching transit Of We
nus, "for the purpose Of obtaining data for
the more exact determination OF the distance
of the Sun from the EARTH" the house of
repr 'senlallves has appropriated five thou
sand dollars for The object. We do not pro.
fess to be acquainted with the subject for
which this appropriation is made, but are al
ways pleased to see public money applied
to The promotion OF science. We ought not
10 he behind other nations in this respect.
We have. in this country, no doubt, astron-
omcrs well qualified to make the required
observations, and it is propcrlhat they should
be supplied with means from the public trea-
surv, as the benefits. if any, to arise from
their observations, will be conferred on the
pubic.
When the great statesman and patriot,
John O. Adams, was President, he recon.
mended The erection of an Observatory at
Washington; but he was ridiculcd for what
was termed his attempt 10 erect "a light
house in the skies" a more enlightened
and liberal spirit having since prevailed, this
"ligh,-house" has been bull, and supplied
with the requisite instruments, and now the
United States stands on an equality in this
respect, with other nations.
We were gratIhed when the expedition
under Lieut.. Wilkes was authorized; and
the discovery of continent around the south
pole, should induce further explorations
Appropriations for this and other scientific
purposes, would be interesting and useful,
and we should be glad to see another expo.
dition undertaken. We know that cont
ncnt exists, but it remains to be explored.
We are curious to know if it be inhabited,
and other particulars, which might extend
human knowledge.
CHINESE FABLE OF THE CREATION.
Ralionalists have penetrated furlhest into
the Delalian mystery of this cnsmogony, and
they 90 on to show what Pwanku did, It.
They picture him holding chisel and mallet
in his hands, splitting and fashIonng vast
masses of granite floating yconfusedly in space.
Behind the openings his powerful hands have
made are seen the sun. the moon, and stars
| e lal,. I'D OF