New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-11-23

y,
his belonging to the same class, as far as intel
iect went, with themselves. After the adoption
OF the Constitution in 1859 commissioners were
appointed to run the lines of the District of
Columbia, the ten miles square now occupied
by the seat OF Government and then called
the Federal Territory" The commissioners
invited Banneker to be present at the trimmings,
and treated him with much consideration. On
his return he used to say of them, that they
were a civil set of gentlemen, who had over
looked his complexion on account of his attain
ments, and had so far honored him as to invite
him to be seated at their table an honor" he
added. (which he had thought fit to decline,
and requested that side table might be pro-
vided for him."
Banneker continued to calculate and publish
bis aimanacs until 1902. aud the folio already
referred TO, and now before the Society, con-
tains the calculations clearly copied. and the
| figures used by him in his work. The hand.
writing it will be seen, is very good and re
markably distinct, having aprsctced look, al
though evidently that of an old man who makes
his letters slowly and carefully. His letter 70
Mr. Jefferson, in the appendix, gives a very
good idea of his style of composition and his
ability as writer. The title of the almanac
is here transcribed at length, as a matter oil
curious interest st this latter day. If it claims
! little of the art and elegance and wit of the
aimanacs of Punch or of Hood, it is neverthe
less, considering its history, far more surpris.
ing production:
Benjamin Bannekers Pennsylvania, Della
ware, Virginia, and Maryland Almanac and
Ephemeris for the year 1892, being Bissextile
or leap year, and the sixteenth year of Ameri.
can independence, which commenced July
l776. Containing the motions of the sun and
moon, the true places and aspects OF the plan
4 ris NJ ha nd RI
rising, setting, and southing, place and age Of
the mooa, &c. The Lunations, Conjunctions
Ecli pses, Judgment of the Weather, Festivals
and remarkable days" Thus much is Banne
ker's; then follow Goddard and Angell: "Also
several useful tables and valuable receipts
various selections from the common place book
of the Kentucky Philosopher, an American
sage; with interesting aud entertaining essays
In prose and verse-the whole comprising a
greater. more pleasing and useful variety than
any book of the kind and price in North
| America
! Besides his aptitude for mechanics, and his
ability as a mathematician Banneker was an
acute observer, whose active mind was con
stantly receiving impulses from what was taking
place around him. Many instances of this are
ia be found in the record of his calculations
which he seems to have used occasionally as a
common place book For instance, under date
/ VI tuc <ttu august, 1857, ne Virtues.
ing at my door heard the discharge of gun,
and IN tour or five seconds of time, after the
discharge, the small shot came rafting about
nae, one or two of which struck the house
| which plainly demonstrates that the velocity
| oil sound Is greater than that of q cannon
bullet" 1t must have been a philosophc
MUD, which, observing the fact as here stated,
drew from it the correct conclusion, and then
recorded 1t IN appropriate terms as simple
and beautiful illustration of the law of nature,
with which, in all probability, he first became
acquain ted through its means.
Again, on the 23d December. 1870, he writes :
About three o'clock A. NJ, l heard the
sound and felt the shock like unto heavy thun-
| der. L went out but could not observe any
| cloud above the horizon. l therefore con
ciude 1T must be great earthquake in Some
part of the globe" A similar conclusion from
| the same facts was drawn by a greater man
than Banneker eighteen hundred years
before, (Piiny,) and recorded to be commented
on In ait ages.
Nor was Banneker's observation confined to
matters of philosophical character. There is
evidence iii the memoranda of his record book
that natural history was equally interesting to
him. The following, independent of its con
nection with the subject of our memoir, pos
sesses general interest as an authentic state
| ment by an eyewitness of curious fact in
cut omoiogy. In April, 1900, he writes: "The
hrst great locust year that l can remember
was l749. | was then about seventeen years
of age. when thousands of them came and were
creeping up the trees and bushes. l then im
agined they came to eat and destroy the fruit
OF the earth, and would occasion a famine in
the land. | therefore began to kill and de-
stroy them, but soon saw that my labor was in
vain, and therefore gave over my professions.
Again, in the yeor 1866, which is seventeen
years after their first appearance, they made
second, and appeared TO me to be full as
numerous as the first / then, being about
thirty four years of age, had more sense than
to endeavor to destroy them, knowing they
were not so pernicious to the fruit of the earth
as | amagined they would be. Again, in the
year 1888, which was seventeen years since
their second appearance to me, they made
their third; and they may be expected again
in the year 1900, which is seventeen years since
their third appearance to me. SO that if
may venture to express it, their periodical
return is seventeen years but they, like the
comets, make but a short stay with us. The
female has sting IN her tail as sharp and
hard as q thorn, with which she perforates the
branches of the trees, and in the holes lays
eggs. The branch soon dies and falls. Then
the egg, by some occult cause, immerges a
great depth into the earth, and there con-
tlnues for the space Of seventeen years as afore-
said"
81 like to forgot to inform, that if their
lives are short they are merry. They begin to
sing or make a neise from first they come out
OF the earth till they die. The hindermost
part rots off, and it does not appear to be any
pain to them, for they still continne on singing
till they die"
Again, there is the following record Of fact
in natural history =" 10 the month of January,
1897, on pleasant day for the season, | oh.
served my honey bees to be out of their hives,
and they seemed to be very busy, all but one
hive. Upon examination / found all the bees
had evacuated this hive and left not drop of
honey behind them. On the 9th February en-.
suing killed the neghborng hives of bees,
on special occasion, and found a great GUAM
tity of honey, considering the season, which |
imagine the stronger had violently taken from
the weaker, add the weaker had pursued them
TO their home, resolved to be benefited by their
labor or die in the contest"
The last extract we shall make from the
record book is one which indicates a relish for
the beautiful in nature, as we'll by his under.
taking to record description of what he saw,
AZ by the language which he uses. The ex
tract is from the last pages of the book, when
he was in bis seventy-frst year. His writing
is still distinct, but the letters have lost their
frmness, and show that his hand trembed M
it held the pen.
"l803, February I'm the morning part
Of the day there arose very dark cloud, fol.
lowed by snow and hail, q fash of lightning
aud loud thunder crack; and then the storm
abated until afternoon, when another cloud
arose at the same Doint viz the northwast