Part 2

But it is not only in the effects upon those who obey the mandate of the law, that this system is to be deprecated. Look at it, in what light you will, it is injurious and oppressive. A large portion of your fellow citizens are men who will not, in any cause, take the life or connive at the death of a fellow creature. They believe that the great Author of being retains in his own hand the power over life, and that it is impious in mortals to assume his prerogative.--No matter how true or false this may be, it is with them an article of religious faith, and as such is held sacred by our constitution. Whatever law interferes with this article of their belief is, to them, persecution. If man has no moral right to take the life of his fellow, government can have no moral right to oblige him to do it; and they who obey the law, in preference to their conscience, are traitors to their God. If they obey your military requisition, they become a party to a system altogether at variance with their faith. They cannot pay the fines which you impose for their refusal, for you demand them as an equivalent for what they cannot concede to you. Here then are they placed, without (according to their belief) the power of moving. If you insist upon the payment, you must despoil them of their goods. It is to be sure alleged, that the state cannot, with a due regard to its own safety, dispense with the military allegiance of its citizens. Admit this to be the case. Do you, in abstaining from the petty, alienating vexations of a militia law in time of peace, yield or forego the claim to this allegiance? You pass an edict oppressive to a class of citizens, whose motive for non-compliance is sacred in the eye of the constitution,--an edict, which your experience of the past assures you, they will not comply with, and you create, in order to enforce it, a race of harpies, who are trained under it in all the arts of oppression and plunder. And to what good end? Does one solitary dollar of these militia exactions pass into your treasury? Is it not, on the contrary, a well known fact, that after seizing upon twice or thrice the just amount of the claim, the proceeds of the sale of these goods melt away before they reach the public treasury? The ostensible object of the law is to train the yeomenry in the art of war. My word for it, its actual operation is more to enervate than to strengthen, and while it forms a dark blot on the escutcheon of our state, there is not, in its consequences, a single salutary effect to compensate for the hardships it inflicts upon the followers of the great statesman, who laid the foundations of our public and private prosperity, our liberal institutions; of all, in short, which has rendered Pennsylvania the boast and the envy of nations.

FOR THE RURAL MAGAZINE.

ROUTE TO NIAGARA PALLS.

_To the Editors._--During the continuance of the fervid season, some of your readers will probably beguile the tedium of mid-summer, by taking excursions in various directions, as health or curiosity may happen to invite them. The gratification to be derived from pursuing the route to NIAGARA FALLS, and thence to Montreal and Quebec, will amply repay all its fatigues, and realise the expectations of the tourist however highly excited. The following indicates one of the most agreeable avenues of approach to that unparalleled wonder of Nature. Having felt the want of some such information myself, it was thought it might be acceptable to others, who have no better guide. These distances, though derived principally from innkeepers, stage-drivers, &c. are sufficiently accurate for the purposes of travellers generally.

_Distance from Philadelphia to the Falls._

Miles. New York, 100 Albany, 160 ---- 260 Schenectady, 16 Amsterdam, 15 Tripe's Hill, 6 Cachnewaga, 5 Paletine, 18 St. Johnsville, 4 Manheim, 3 ---- 327 Little Falls, 7 Herkimer, 7 Utica, 15 1st day's journey from Albany, ---- 96 Vernon, 16 Lennox, 12 Chetenengo, 5 Manlius, 12 Jamesville, 5 Onondaga, 10 Skaneatelis, 16 2d day's journey from Albany, ---- 76 Auburn, 7 Canandaigua, 37 3d day's journey from Albany, ---- 44 Victor, 10 Pittsford, 11 Rochester, 9 Palma, 11 Murray, 7 Gaines, 11 4th day's journey from Albany, ---- 59 Ridgway, 13 Hartland, 11 Cambray, 12 Lewistown, 15 FALLS OF NIAGARA, 7 ---- 58 ---- 593

_From the Falls to Quebec._

Lewistown, 7 Fort George, 7 YORK, 33 Kingston, 170 Prescott, 70 La Chine, 130 Montreal, 9 QUEBEC, 170 ---- 596

_From Quebec to Philadelphia._

Montreal, 170 St. John's, 27 Shoreham, 150 Ticonderoga, (village) 3 Caldwell, 35 Albany, 61 New York, 160 PHILADELPHIA, 100 ---- 706

This journey may be readily accomplished in about four weeks, without extraordinary haste, at an expense of from one to two or three hundred dollars; according to the mode of travelling adopted, and the habits of the tourist in relation to economy or extravagance. But in times like the present, even those who are wealthy, should be edifying examplars of simplicity and frugality.

OSCAR.

FOR THE RURAL MAGAZINE.

EXTRACTED FROM THE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS OF C. E.

_A remarkable instance of premonition of impending death._

Your readers may rely on the authenticity of what follows, as I assure them I copied it myself from the original letter in the well known hand writing of John Ross, Esq. deceased, who was an eminent attorney at law in this city, for many years before the American revolution, and also a member of the legislature, as a number still living can remember. The letter was addressed to his friend Dr. Cadwalader Evans, of this city, but then settled for a few years in the Island of Jamaica. The accident happened to John Kinsey, Jun. He was the son of John Kinsey, Esq., one of the most eminent lawyers of his time, also speaker of the Assembly and chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

C. E.

DEAR DR. EVANS,

I am going for Newcastle, early in the morning. I just heard of a vessel going to Jamaica before my return; so in haste determine to give you one scrawl, lest you should think the neighbourhood forget you. But you may depend that will never happen: we gratefully and cordially remember you often. I would tell you all the news in a word, if possible, with all haste. To begin--our neighbourhood just as you left us, only B. Franklin lives in your house. The Col. Hellier not yet gone to sea. I think all your acquaintance continue well, save poor Johnny Kinsey, jun. on Tuesday, the 8th inst. by accident shot himself dead, coming over Gray's ferry, by Schuylkill falls, while in the boat. He had loaded his gun, and, as is supposed, let the butt drop on the bottom of the flat, the gun in a line with his body by his side; went off when half cocked. The whole load of shot struck his left cheek, and went up directly into his brain. He dropped and was dead in an instant--never groaned. Great sorrow attended his father, and all his friends, for the accident. He had strange apparitions of his death the night before, which he informed his aunt Bowene of at breakfast, the morning of the accident. I must relate to you the particulars which are as true as surprising. He, talking with his aunt at breakfast concerning his being admitted as an attorney and going into business, said, he believed he had nothing to do with business, for his time, he thought, was not long in this world. He said that last night he was strangely disturbed in his sleep with dreams and apparitions; that his cousin Charles Pemberton, who died last spring, appeared to him, wrapped in a sheet, and said to him, "Kinsey, your time approaches, you must go with me," and he disappeared. Soon after, appeared a person before him in the form of an angel, (according to the idea he had of an angel) and said to him "Kinsey, your hour is come, you must go with me," and instantly he thought a flash of lightning struck him on the cheek and he instantly died. This was followed by a severe clap of thunder and lightning that awaked him from his sleep, and all those particulars came fresh to his memory, and gave him a great uneasiness. (Note--no thunder or lightning that night.)--Upon this he endeavoured to get asleep again, and after dozing a short time, he was awaked by the noise of a person walking across the room, giving a heavy groan. He heard or saw no more, but got out of bed and went into the other room, called the Scotch boy to bring in his bed and lay by him the remainder of the night. In the morning, at breakfast, on Tuesday last, he communicated all the before related to his aunt Bowene and Hannah Kearney. He seemed much dejected upon it, was confident he was near his end; but to divert himself for that day, he determined to take his gun and go fowling with young J. Derborow, young Oxley, and two or three more. They walked to Coultas' ferry and crossed Schuylkill, and up to the falls ferry. He told the company several times, as they walked, he wished no accident might befall him before he got home. On their return, crossing the ferry in the boat, the unhappy accident happened him. Thus you have the particulars of this melancholy affair, as fully as I could relate it if with you, and I chose to be particular in it, because I have met with no story in history so well attested as this concerning the premonitions from heaven of our dissolution. The flash that struck his cheek when asleep, was clearly answered by the flash of the gun and the shot thereof first striking. His aunt laboured to persuade him not to go a gunning that day, and he agreed; but afterwards meeting his company, they prevailed with him, as they had all agreed to go the night before.

Your father and all friends are well. I sincerely wish you all imaginable felicity, and with all the haste I began, I cannot help now concluding that I am your very affectionate friend and humble servant,

JOHN ROSS.

Dr. Cadwalader Evans, St. Anns, Jamaica.

_Philad. Sunday Evening_, } _13 Nov. 1748._ }

FOR THE RURAL MAGAZINE.

FIRMITY AND HOMINY.

There are two ancient very wholesome and pleasant dishes, which are much used in the states south of Pennsylvania, to which the middle and northern states have not yet paid sufficient attention. The first called FIRMITY, is made of WHEAT. The second, called HOMINY, is made of INDIAN CORN, or MAIZE. The grains of wheat and Indian corn are prepared by beating in the same manner in a wooden mortar, with an iron pestle, filed in crosses or ridges at the bottom, like a modern stamp or seal for letters.

To make the firmity mortar, or hominy mortar, select a tree of from two feet to two feet and one half in diameter. Cut off a length (or piece as nearly as possible cylindrical) of about the height of a man's waistband from the ground. Let an iron hoop be well secured on and around each of the ends, to bind and keep the wood together. Then make a hole at each end of this cut of wood, like the cavity of a common mortar, as wide as the wood will admit, at top, and narrowing to a blunt point at the bottom. Both cavities are to be made alike, so that in fact, in the one cylindrical piece of wood, there will be two mortars; one in and at each end. These may be used indiscriminately for wheat or firmity, or for Indian corn or hominy, and will occasion the utensil to last longer.--It will be proper not to have the bottoms of the two mortars, or mortar holes, so deep as to endanger the driving a hole from one into the other, which would destroy the use of both. When the mortar is thus well made, a moderate quantity of wheat, to make firmity, is to be put into the mortar, in the upper part, as it stands on the end, and the grain is to be moistened with a little warm water, to make the skin or bran come off easily and perfectly, by the beating. The pestle is then to be used by a man so as, by striking in among the grains of wheat, from the top to the bottom of the parcel, from time to time, and repeatedly, to skin the grains of wheat, which it will do effectually. When this is done, the grains are to be separated from the hulls or bran, by a sieve large enough to let the wheat through and keep out the bran or skin. When this has been done, the parcel is spread to dry, on a clean coarse linen or cotton cloth. The proper quantity is put into a large family pot, with a sufficient quantity of water to boil it, and to be evaporated by a steady simmering heat from 8 or 9 in the evening till 9 or 10 next morning. Thus the firmity will be made into a large mass of white mixture of paste or pulp of wheat, and of whole wheat. This is to be taken out in portions, as wanted to make a mess, boiled with skim or common milk, as thick as pea-soup or rice-milk, and sweetened to the taste. A small lump of butter, of the size of a nutmeg, is often put into the tureen or soup-dish of firmity, at the moment when it is served up hot. Some use a little nutmeg and a very little salt. Firmity is used after the meat meal, which need be but small when there is firmity for dinner, for it is a very hearty and pleasant food. At supper there is no occasion for meat.

Hominy is prepared in like manner, except that it is served up without milk, and that it is diluted moderately with hot water. A little butter and salt may be added; and on following days hominy is often fried in a large cake to the size of the pan.--Hominy, in every form and state, is very good with the gravy of roasted beef, mutton, lamb, and poultry, steaks, chops, and cutlets.

It is believed, that wheat and Indian corn are much more wholesome in firmity and hominy, than in bread or _pone_. No yeast is required.--Great quantities of grain might be used in this way. Every thing that employs our grain, which is becoming redundant, is an object worthy of consideration and attention. A great number of the best living and most expensive families in Philadelphia, from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, use hominy and firmity with the greatest relish; and if suitable mortars were sent thither for sale, the use of this food would increase.

FOR THE RURAL MAGAZINE.

Weeds, and larger growths, which interfere with cultivation or impoverish the ground, should be cut down or pulled up, _before the seed ripens_, in August, which prevents their growing in a following year. Weeds are the successful rivals of grain, garden vegetables, and grass.

Now is the BUILDING season. All our country houses and places for work, should be built on the south and west sides of swamps, marshes, ponds, and other fresh waters, _on account of health_; and not on the north or east sides of any such wet or watery places. The summer winds blow from the south and west, and carry the unwholesome vapours, exhaled from those fresh waters, from places on their south and west sides, to places on the north and east sides, preserving the people's health.

WHITE COVERS of linen, cotton, or even paper, to the hats of people working in the fields, fishing, fowling, travelling, &c. protect them from morbid or sickening strokes of the sun. This is an old practice among the judicious Swiss.

Now, when all the waters are becoming low, we should observe the places for tapping swamps, marshes, and ponds. By cutting a drain to draw off the water in its low state, in August, we begin to reclaim our lands from the marsh and swamp.--The ground becomes firmer to haul off the wood and timber in the cutting season. Wet grounds should be drained, before they are cleared of their wood. For, if they are freed from trees, _in their wet state_, the sun produces sickening and often fatal evaporations. This is true in France, Germany, Holland, and the marshy parts of England, though several degrees further north than the United States.

* * * * *

_Dry Rot._--This destructive enemy of building, which generally commences its ravages in the cellars, may be prevented or checked, by whitewashing them yearly, mixing copperas with it to give it a yellow hue.

Communicated for the Rural Magazine.

ABSTRACTS

From the IVth volume of the Memoirs of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society; Richard Peters, President; Wm. Tilghman, James Mease, George Logan and Robert Coleman, Vice Presidents; Roberts Vaux, Secretary.

1. The SESAMUM ORIENTALE or BE-NE, written BENE, for making oil of the seed, from Bengal, Africa, Georgia, and the Mississippi. See Archives of Useful Knowledge, by Dr. Mease; Encyclopædia Britanica; Accounts of East India Agriculture, &c. It is planted in the end of April and gathered in the end of September, in 32° N. lat.; raised also in 34° 50' N. lat. The oil is fine for salad, and all the other uses of _olive_ oil, and may be extracted, as is the flax-seed oil, or by boiling water, to the top of which it will rise, and may be skimmed, and bottled or put into casks. It is very common on the west coast of Africa, and grows to most advantage on poor, sandy hills. It is said never to become rancid, but to improve with age. [Letter of Thomas M. Forman, Esq. Rose Hill, near Savington, Cecil, Md.] In the same letter is an account of Napoleon or Crawford RYE. It is described to grow very tall, having a solid stalk, probably capable of resisting the fly, like Jethro Tull's solid-stalked wheat. This grain is said to improve in the Cecil county soil and climate.

2. Plan of FENCES of living trees for posts, such as the Sugar Maple, and _wire_ for rails; by White & Hazard, Whitestown, Philadelphia county, lowest falls of Schuylkill. Common fence for 100 acres, for 50 years, costs $3,080. Do. of wire fence for 50 years, costs $1,751. Add profit on trees, such as American black Walnut, curled or sugar Maple, Mulberry, Apple, (244 trees producing annually, at one dollar, $244) Buttonwoods, &c. which the projectors make to produce $14,098, in fifty years. Interest on annual produce sufficient to keep such wire and live-tree fence in repair, from the time of completion for ever. Other orchard lands can be spared. These fences are good against the worst cows;--they are easy to repair. Inquire at R. Watkin's tavern, at the falls of Schuylkill.

3. Accounts of LIME and KILNS, and cooking STOVES, in Spain; by Anthony Morris, Esq. formerly of Philadelphia, now of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, A. D. 1816.--In burning lime, the Spanish peasants use only the small Shrub or brush wood, not larger than a man's little finger to the size of a pipe stem. The kiln is like ours in Whitemarsh, &c. except that the top of the kiln is very little above the surface of the ground, and is covered with clay to confine the heat. The arch within is of such height as to give the full benefit of all the flame of those dry, light materials. The Spanish lime, like our best Pennsylvania lime, is very good. The Spanish practice is recommended, where lime stone is plenty, wood scarce, and brush, trash and weeds so abundant as to impede or injure culture. In the same letter is a cheap method, as to fuel, for heating irons; and an economical kitchen, as to fire, for cooking.

4. A letter from Mr. Jefferson, concerning the success of the GYPSUM, or Plaster of Paris, in Albemarle, Virginia, 200 miles from the sea-coast; also concerning improved hill ploughing, by his ingenious son-in-law, Col. Thomas M. Randolph.[3]

[3] See the engraving of Col. Randolph's Hill-side Plough, page 18, vol. IV. Philadelphia Agricultural Society's Memoirs.

5. An American Plough, approved in England; as is our Cradling Scythe.

6. Also, further notice of the Mangel Wurtzel, for the culture of which see the Philadelphia Society's Memoirs, vol. III. Seed of a new kind, called the orange-coloured Mangel Wurtzel, has been sent to President Peters by Robert Barclay, Esq. grandson to the old Apologist of Uri. The progress in the culture of this root, in Great Britain, is great. Mr. Peters thinks the mottled kind best, and recommends the greatest care as to seed. It appears in other parts of this volume that 60 to 90 tons of Mangel Wurtzel, or Scarcity Root, or the improved Beet, have been produced by an acre.