Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-03-24

10 1t, was woman Of gigantic size, her counte-
nance convulsed with blended expression of
rage and agony, wrilhipg and struggling. like
LAGOON in the folds Of the serpent. Her head
neck, feet and arms were naked wild locks Of
grey hair streamed back from temples corruga-
ted and darkened. The horrible cavacade swep,
by across the street, and disappeared at the mar
gin of the pond.
From Narrative and Miscellaneous Papers by Thomas
DeQuIncy just published by Ticknor Reed Field.l
Flight of Tartar Tribe.
On fine morning in early autumn Of the year
l77l, KEN Long, the Emperor OF China, was
pursuing his anusements in wild frontier dis
trio! lying on the outside of the Great Wall. For
many hundred square leagues the country was
desoate of inhabitants, but rich in woods of an
cent growth, and overrun with game of every
description. In central spot Of this solitary
region, the Emperor had built gorgeous hunt
ing.lodge, TO which he resorted annually for
recreation and relief from the cares of govern
ment. Led onwards in pursuit of game, he had
rambled to distance of two hundred miles or
more from his lodge, followed at little distance
by sufficient military escort, and every night
pitching his tent in different situation, until at
length he had arrived on the very margin Of the
vast central deserts of Asia. Here he was stand
ing by accident at the opening of his pavilion,
enjoying the morning sunshine, when suddenly
to the westward there arose vast cloudy vapour
which by degrees expanded, mounted, and slow.
y seemed to be diffusing itself over the whole
face of the heavsns. By-and.by this vast sheet
of mist began to tbicken towards the horizon,
and roll forward in biIIowy volumes. The EN-
perors suite assembled from all quarters. The
silver trulnpets were sounded in the rear, and
from all the gades and forest avenues began to
trot forward towards the pavilion the yagers.
half cavalry, half huntsmen, who composed the
Imperial escort Conjecture was on the stretch
to divine the cause Of the phenomenon. and the
interest continually increased, in proportion as
simple curiosity gradually deepened into the
anxiety Of uncertain danger. At first it had
been imagined that some vast troops of deer, or
other wild animals of the chase, had been dis
turbed in their forest haunts by the Emperor s
movements. or possibly bv wild beasts prowllng
for prey, ard might bc fetching compass ny
way of re entering the forest grounds ut some
remoter points secure from molestaticn But
this conjecture was dissipated by the slow IN
crease of the cloud and the steadlness of its me-
ton In the course of two hours the vast phe-
nomenon had advanced to a point which was
though all calculations of distance were difficult,
aud often fallacous, when applied to the endless
expansion OF the Tartar deserts. Through the
next hour, during which the gentle morning
breeze had little freshened, the dusty vapor had
developed itself far and wide into the appearance
of huge arial draperies, hanging in mighty vol
umes from the sky to the earth ; and at partlcu
lar points, when the eddIes of the breeze actet
upon ,he pendulous skirts OF the prlal curtains
rents were perceived, sometimes taking the iorn
of regular arches, portals, and windows, througl
which began 10 CLEAN the heads Of camel
endorsed with human beings-and at in'erval
the moving OF men and horses, in tumultuou
array-and then, through other openings or Wis
tas, at far distant points, the flashing of polishe
arms. But sOmtlmes as the wind slackened o
died away all those openings, of whatever form
in the cloudy pail, would slowly close, and for
time the whole pageant was shut up from views
although the growing dn,the cIamors, the shrek
and groans, ascending from inluriated myriads,
reported, in language not to be misunderstood
what was going on behind the cloudy screen.
1t was in fact the Kamuck host, now in th
last exremtes Of their exhaustion, and ver
fast approaching to that final stage Of privatio
and intense misery, beyond which few or non'
could have lived, but also, happily for themselves
fas, approaching lin literal sense the ina
stage of their long pilgrimage, at which the!
would meet hospitality on scale of royal mag
nificence, and full prote ction from their enemies
however, as yet still were hanging OIL their rea
as fiercely as ever, though this day was destin
ed to be the last Of their hideous persecution
The Kahn had, in fact, sent forward courier
with all the requisites statements and petitions
addressed to the Emperor of China. These hu
been duly received, and preparations made i
consequence to welcome the Kalmucks with tn
mae, paternal benevoence. But as these cou
risss had been despatched from the Torgau
the moment of arrival thither, and before tn
advance Of Traubenberg had made necessar
for the Kahn to order hastv renewal of tn
fight, the Emperor had not looked for their al
rival on their frontier until full three month
after the present tune. The Kahn had indee
expressly notified his intention to pass the sun
ner heats on the banks of the Torgau, and
re-commence his retreat about the beginning
September. The subsequent charge of pla
beng unknown to Kien Long, left him for som
time in doubt as to the true Interpretation to b
put upon this mighty apparition in the desert
but at length the savage clainors Of hostile fury
and the clangor of weapons, unve,ld to tho En-
peror the true nature of those unexpected ca
lamties which had so prematursy precipitate
the Kalmuck measure.
, Apprehendng the real state of affairs, th
, Emperor instantly preceived that the first act q
hs fathsrly care for these erring children las