had picked up at Natchez. These new partners in REVOLUTIONARY REMINISCENCE. depredation, to the number of thirty or forty, were AFTER the battle of Lexington, General Gage, havsent back under Reuben Harrison, now become a ing succeeded the notorious Governour Hutchinson lieutenant, to collect what Willing had spared.-in the command of the king's troops in Boston, and This new scheme of plunder was somehow convey- being reinforced by Generals Howe, Clinton, and ed to Natchez, where the wronged inhabitants proved Burgoyne, issued his celebrated proclamation, offerless tame than the predatory gang may have expecting pardon to all who would return to their allegied. The people of Natchez, under Hutchins, Bloo-ance. John Hancock and Samuel Adams, both mart, M'Intosh and Percy, assembled at Ellis's Land- members of Congress from Massachusetts, were exing. Here an engagement took place between the cepted from this "lying act of Grace," having by Natchez settlers and Harrison's party; in which the their zeal and abilities made themselves especially leader and five or six of his men were killed by the obnoxious to the ministry. Of Mr. Adams, it was planters in arms. This was the first battle fought said by Galloway, in his examination before the in the country between white men, after the estab- House of Commons, that "he eats little, drinks litlishment of British government. tle, sleeps little, thinks much, and is most indefatiOrders now came from Governour Chester, at gable in the pursuit of his object. That by his suPensacola, to fit up fort Panmure; and Col. Magel- periour abilities he managed the factions of Conlan was sent to raise a battalion of four companies.gress and the factions in New England." The folThese were given to the command of Colonels Ly-lowing parody on the proclamation (which the man, Bloomart, Bingaman, and M'Intosh. These Whigs treated with great contempt and ridicule) aptroops were soon ordered to Baton Rouge, with the peared in the prints of the day. increasing prospect of a Spanish war. The place of this military force was filled by a Captain Foster, with a hundred men, who took full possession of the country. On the sixteenth of June, 1779, war was declared by Spain against Great Britain. This was the signal to the colonial officers of Spain, in Louisiana, to retrieve, if possible, the bad fortune which had so eminently attended the military efforts of the French, as well as the Spanish branch of the house of Bourbon, in the war of 1755. Fortunately for Spain, Joseph De Galvez, a most enterprising officer, was at this time governour of Louisiana. This active commander, early in the fall of 1779, successfully directed an expedition against the British fort Bute on the Mauschac; and on the twenty-first of September, he likewise captured a more considerable fort at Baton Rouge, commanded by a Colonel Dixon. It is said, however, that the bad state of the defences aided the efforts of the Spaniards in no inconsiderable degree. By the capitulation of Baton Rouge all the British possessions, embracing fort Panmure at Natchez, a fort on Amite river, and another on Thompson's creek, on the Mississippi, were ceded to Spain and she once more reoccupied the labours of De Soto, in his brilliant and unrivalled enterprise through the barbarous forests and swamps of Mississippi. Such an extension of the capitulation, and indeed the whole defence of Baton Rouge, greatly surprised the shrewd and bold planters of Natchez. At this point, the British had great resources both in the settlers and the Indians, upon which Col. Dixon might have confidently fell back. These interiour means seem to have been unknown or disregarded by the British officer. It was no doubt favourable to the humanity of the warfare, that the Indians were not introduced into the tragedy of war, always full enough of horrours, but never so much so, as when such murderous savages as the North American Indians are made its actors. (To be continued.) THE richest endowments of the mind are temperance, prudence, and fortitude; prudence is a universal virtue, which enters into the composition of all the rest, and where that is not present, fortitude loses its name and nature. "Tom. Gage's Proclamation, Against the New England nation. Whereas, the rebels, hereabout, Will only tend such rogues to harden. THOMAS FLUCKER, Secretary. FARMERS' DEPARTMENT. GREEN CORNSTALKS FOR FODDER. to the acre, but also which yields the greatest amount of nourishment to the acre. For those who are apt to be short for summer pasture, particularly in August and September, will not the cultivation of a patch of horsetooth-corn, sown broadcast, be found to be a matter of considerable practical importance? MODE OF MAKING BUTTER TO KEEP. THE last New England Farmer contains a letter from Asa M. Holt, of East Haddam, Conn., giving the result of an experiment, which should induce the farmers generally to adopt a similar practice. His experiment, which follows, was made two years ago, but he states, in his introductory remarks, that he has been in the practice of sowing corn broadcast, for the feeding of cattle in summer. THE following is the method practised in a county EXPERIMENT. On the fifteenth of June, 1816, in Scotland, long famous for the excellence of its about sixteen square rods of ground which had been butter-and by adopting this method in this country, well manured, and well ploughed, were sown broad-it would doubtless become a capital article in housecast, with horsetooth corn, at the rate of four bushels wifery, and be delicious and good at any season of of seed to the acre. The seed was then lightly the year. It would seem that a minute attention to ploughed in with a small horse-plough, after which cleanliness is indispensable in making good butter. the ground was harrowed and rolled. On the tenth of August following, we began to cut up the crop of cornstalks which grew on the abovedescribed ground. The crop which grew from the sixteen rods of ground beforementioned afforded forage for a horse from the nineteenth of August to the eighth of October, and also afforded the principal part of the food for a cow from the fifth of September to the eighth of October. Making fifty days keeping for the horse and thirty-three for the cow. On the fifth of September, when this corn was from five to eight feet high, but had eared or tasselled out, the produce of one square rod was cut up, and while green it weighed three hundred and seventyfive pounds. This was at the rate of thirty tuns to the acre. This three hundred and seventy-five pounds, which was cut from one square rod of grain, was dried, and on the twenty-seventh of October, 1836, it weighed eighty-six and a quarter pounds, which is at the rate of 13,800 pounds, or six and nine tenths tuns to the acre. An acre of horsetooth-corn, sowed in this way on good ground, would probably afford green forage for thirty cows a month, or for eight horses the same length of time. And we think such a crop of cornstalks is far superiour to any crop of guinea-grass, or cow-cabbage, which we could reasonably expect to grow in this country. It is proper to remark here, however, that in order to make the horse active and strong for business, a little prøvender is very useful. While the horse was eating the cornstalks as beforementioned, he was allowed two quarts of shelled corn per day, and with this allowance he was more active and strong for business than when he had his two quarts of shelled corn, and as much good dry hay as he would eat. I may add, that though cows eat the green cornstalks voraciously for two or three days, if kept wholly on the green stalks they are apt to get cloyed, and afterward not to eat as well. The stalks are not easily cured into good dry fodder. "The milk is set in cellars arched over with brickwork, deep and cool, somewhat resembling, such vaults as are best adapted to keeping wine in proper order. The temperature of the air in them in winter as well as summer, is nearly from forty-five to sixty of Farenheit's thermometer. They are paved with ordinary tiles, or simply with bricks laid flat, When there is any reason to apprehend the heat penetrating into the cellar, the vent-holes are stopped with straw during the heat of the day. In the winter they take care that the cold should not get into this cellar, by stopping the vent-holes, in like manner in frosty weather. The door to these cellars, and the vent-holes, should be either on the north or west side; the door is often within the dwellinghouse, but always in a room where no fire is kept. Neatness and cleanliness are so very essential in this cellar, that no wooden utensils, boards, &c., are suffered to be in it; because as these would soon rot in such a cool place, a disagreeable and musty smell would issue from them. Not the least dirt is to be seen either on the roof, the edges of the air-holes, or on the floor; and in order to preserve this neatness, the pavement is frequently washed, and nobody comes in without putting on a pair of slippers which stand ready at the door. The persons who have the care of the dairy, put them on there, first pulling off their ordinary shoes the least smell, other than that of milk, which should be perceived in the dairy, would be thought to injure the quality of the butter, and would be attributed to the want of care in the maids, Cleanliness is thought so extremely necessary toward the having good butter, that in Saxony and Bavaria they rub and wash the cows before they milk them, if they happen to have laid down in the cow-house. The vessels in which the new milk is put, are The advantages of sowing the horsetooth-corn, in-earthen dishes scalded in hot water, in order to get stead of some of the smaller sorts, are, the horse-off the stale milk that may be soaked into their subtooth-corn being a taller kind, makes a much greater stance. The stale milk is an invisible leaven, amount of fodder. It is a later kind, and therefore though well known, which sours the new milk.keeps green, and in a fit condition to be foddered out Constant experience has discovered this inconvenimuch larger, than the earlier sorts. There is considerable difference in the sweetness of the stalks of different kinds of corn. And it might be worth the attention of agricultural philosophers, to make experiments to decide, not only which kind of cornstalks yields the greatest number of pounds ence. These dishes are fifteen inches wide at the top, six at the bottom, and six inches deep. These dimensions are from outside to outside; if they were deeper it would be hurtful, if they were wider it would be inconvenient. The milk is brought from the pastures in the 36 wooden pans or earthen pans in which it was milked. | crease, the importations of the year rising to $11,All copper vessels are esteemed dangerous to be 117,000. In 1832, 1833, and 1834, they averaged used in a dairy. The milk is suffered to remain quiet about an hour on the dairy floor, till the froth is gone off, and the natural heat it had has quitted it. It is then poured into the dishes through a sieve, so that no hairs or dirt may remain in it. The dishes are set on the floor of the dairy, after it has been well cleansed; the coolness of the place communicates itself to the dishes, and prevents the milk from curdling; for everything that is done in the dairy, is in order to hinder the milk from curdling and growing sour in summer before the cream is taken off; and in the winter, to prevent the dairy from being so cold as that the milk should be frozen, or that the butter should be with difficulty made, on account of the cream having been chilled. about $10,000,000. In 1835, they rose to $16,677,000, and in 1836, they reached the large amount of $22,980,000. During the last year, 1837, the importations fell to $14,352,000, in consequence of the commercial difficulties of the country, and although the latter amount is small when compared with the value of importations of 1836, it is nevertheless a large item of national expenditure for the article in question. The official statements of exports of silk goods from this country during the same series of years show that the annual average shipped to other countries is only about $1,000,000 in value, and consequently, that very nearly the whole amount imported is consumed by the people of the United States. It is a singular spectacle to behold a counThe dishes being in this manner filled, are twen-try which is so admirably adapted in all respects to ty-four hours, and sometimes less, on the dairy floor; they are then skimmed; they should not be left longer, because the cream would lose its sweetness, becoming thick, and the milk under it might curdle and grow sour; and where this is the case, no good butter can be expected. SILK IMPORTATIONS INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE official returns to the Treasury Department show that in the year 1821, the value of silks imported into this country was $4,486,000. In the three successive years, there was a steady and progressive increase in the amount of importations, and in 1825, they rose to the value of $10,299,000.From 1826 to 1830, there was a gradual falling off, the value of importations in the last year named being $5,930,000. In 1831, there was a sudden in the culture of silk as is our own, tributary, to the amount of so many millions annually, to the industry of France. But we are induced to think that the imports of silk from abroad have seen their maximum, or at all events, that should they go higher, they will soon begin to be paid for, to no inconsiderable extent, by the raw material exported from the United States. The experience of the last year or two has proved that the mulberry-tree can be reared and multiplied with perfect success and but little trouble or expense, and rapidly increased as the supply of trees has been, it has yet fallen far short of the demand for them. The lapse of a few years is alone re quired to make the United States a large producer of raw silk, and a few more superadded will enable the genius and enterprise of our people to compete ly as they now do with the cotton factories of Great with the silk manufactures of France as successful A RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FETE. (From Stephens's Incidents of Travels.) THE next day was that appointed for the great fete at Peterhoff. In spite of the confining nature of his two suits, my Pole had determined to accompany me thither, being prompted somewhat by the expectation of seeing his damsel; and, nowise disheartened by the fate of his first letter, he had manufactured another, by comparison with which the first was an icicle. I admitted it to be a masterpiece, though when he gave it to a servant to carry over, as we were on the point of setting off, suggested that it might be worth while to wait and pick it up when she threw it out of the window. But he had great confidence, and thought much better of her spirit for sending back his first letter. it was a regular home family scene; and, after the lunch, we left the old people under the awning, promising to return at nine o'clock for tea, and with "the boys" set off to view the fete. From the time when we entered the grounds un til we left at three o'clock the next morning, the whole scene was a fairy scene. The grounds extended some distance along the shore, and the palace stands on an embankment perhaps a hundred and fifty feet high, commanding a full view of the Neva, Cronstadt with its shipping, and the Gulf of Finland. We followed along the banks of a canal five hundred yards long, bordered by noble trees. On each side of the canal were large wooden frames about sixty feet high, filled with glass lamps for the illumination; and at the foot of each was another high framework with lamps, forming, among other things, the arms of Russia, the double-headed eagle, and under it a gigantick star thirty or forty feet in diameter. At the head of the canal was a large basin of water, and in the centre of the basin stood a colossal group in brass, of a man tearing open the jaws of a rampant lion; and out of the mouth of the lion rush The whole population of Petersburgh was already in motion and on the way to Peterhoff. It was expected that the fete would be more than usually splendid, on account of the presence of the queen of Holland, then on a visit to her sister the emperess; and at an early hour the splendid equipages of the nobility, carriages, droskys, telegas, and carts, were hurrying along the banks of the Neva, while steam-ed a jet d'eau perhaps a hundred and fifty feet high. boats, sailboats, rowboats, and craft of every description, were gliding on the bosom of the river. On each side of this basin, at a distance of about three hundred feet, was a smaller basin, with a jet As the least trouble, we chose a steamboat, and d'eau in each of about half its height, and all around at twelve oclock embarked at the English quay. were jets d'eau of various kinds, throwing water verThe boat was crowded with passengers, and among tically and horizontally; among them I remember a them was an old English gentleman, a merchant of figure larger than life, leaning forward in the attithirty years' standing in St. Petersburgh. I soon tude of a man throwing the discus, with a powerful became acquainted with him, how I do not know, stream of water rushing from his clinched fist.and his lady told me that the first time I passed These basins were at the foot of the embankment them she remarked to her husband that I was an on which stands the palace. In the centre was a American. The reader may remember that a lady broad flight of steps leading to the palace, and on made the same remark at Smyrna; without know- each side was a continuous range of marble slabs to ing exactly how I understood it, I mention it as a the top of the hill; over which poured down a sheet fact showing the nice discrimination acquired by of water, the slabs being placed so high and far persons in the habit of seeing travellers from differ-apart as to allow lamps to be arranged behind the ent countries. Before landing, the old gentleman water. All over, along the publick walks and in told me that his boys had gone down in a pleasure- retired alcoves, were frames hung with lamps; boat, abundantly provided with materials, and asked and everywhere, under the trees and on the open me to go on board and lunch with them, which, upon lawn, were tents of every size and fashion, beautithe invitation being extended to my friend, I accepted fully decorated; many of them, oriental in style and Peterhoff is about twenty-five versts from St. Pe- elegance, were fitted up as places of refreshment.tersburgh, and the whole bank of the Neva on that Thousands of people, dressed in their best attire, were side is adorned with palaces and beautiful summer promenading the grounds, but no vehicles were to residences of the Russian seigneurs. It stands at be seen, until, in turning a point, we espied at some the mouth of the Neva, on the borders of the gulf of distance up an avenue, and coming quietly toward Finland. Opposite is the city of Cronstadt, the sea- us, a plain open carriage, with two horses and port of St. Petersburgh and the anchorage of the two English jockey outriders, in which were a genRussian fleet. It was then crowded with merchant tleman and lady, whom, without the universal taking ships of every nation, with flags of every colour off of hats around us, I recognised at once as the streaming from their spars in honour of the day. On emperour and emperess. I am not apt to be carried landing, we accompanied our new friends, and found away by any profound admiration for royalty, but, "the boys," three fine young fellows just growing up without consideration of their rank, I never saw a to manhood, in a handsome little pleasureboat, with finer specimen of true gentility; in fact, he looked a sail arranged as an awning, waiting for their pa- every inch a king, and she was my beau ideal of rents. We were introduced and received with open a queen in appearance and manners. They bowed arms, and sat down to a cold collation in good old as they passed, and, as I thought, being outside of English style, at which, for the first time since I left the line of Russians and easily recognised as a home, I fastened upon an oldfashioned sirloin of stranger, their courtesy was directed particularly to roastbeef. It was a delightful meeting for me. The me; but I found that my companion took it very old people talked to me about my travels; and the much to himself, and no doubt every long-bearded old lady particularly, with almost a motherly interest Russian near us did the same. In justice to myself, in a straggling young man, inquired about my parents, however, I may almost say that I had a conversabrothers, sisters, &c.; and I made my way with the tion with the emperour; for although his imperial frankhearted "boys" by talking "boat." Altogether, highness did not speak to me, he spoke in a language which none but I (and the queen and his jockey out-precious stones, candelabras, couches, ottomans, suriders) understood; for, waving his hand to them, I perb mirrors, and inlaid floors; and the centre room, heard him say in English, "To the right." After extending several hundred feet in length, had its this interview with his majesty we walked up to the lofty walls covered to the very ceilings with portraits palace. The splendid regiments of cavalier guards of all the female beauties in Russia about eighty were drawn up around it, every private carrying years ago. I was about being tired of gazing at himself. like a prince; and I did not admire all his these pictures of long sleeping beauties, when the palaces, nor hardly his queen, so much as this splen- great doors at one end were thrown open and the did body of armed followers. Behind the palace is emperour and emperess, attended by the whole a large plain cut up into gravel-walks, having in one court, passed through on their way to the banquetplace a basin of water, with waterworks of various ing-hall. Although I had been in company with the kinds, among which were some of peculiar beauty emperour before in the garden, and though I had falling in the form of a semiglobe. taken off my hat to the emperess, both passed with admitted to be the most brilliant in Europe; the dresses of the members of the diplomatick corps and the uniforms of the general and staff-officers being with jewels. Besides the emperour and emperess, the only acquaintance I recognised in that constellation of brilliantly-dressed people were Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Clay, who, for republicans, made a very fair blaze. I saw them enter the banqueting-hall, painted in oriental style to represent a tent, and might have had the pleasure of seeing the emperour and emperess and all that brilliant collection eat; but, turning away from a noise that destroyed much of the illusion, viz., the clatter of knives and forks, and a little piqued at the cavalier treatment I had received from the court circles, I went out on the balcony and soliloquized. A little before dark we retired to a refectory un-out recognising me. The court at St. Petersburgh is der a tent until the garden was completely lighted up, that we might have the full effect of the illumination at one coup d'œil, and, when we went out, the dazzling brilliancy of the scene within the sem-really magnificent, while those of the ladies sparkled icircle illumination around the waterworks was beyond description. This semicircular framework enclosed in a large sweep the three basins, and terminated at the embankment on which the palace stands, presenting all around an immense fiery scroll in the air, sixty or eighty feet high, and filled with all manner of devices; and for its background a broad sheet of water falling over a range of steps, with lighted lamps behind it, forming an illuminated cascade, while the basins were blazing with the light thrown upon them from myriads of lamps, and the colossal figures of a reddened and unearthly hue were spouting columns of water into the air. More than two hundred thousand people were supposed to be assembled in the garden, in every variety of gay, Soothed by these rather ill-natured reflections, brilliant, and extraordinary costume. St. Peters-I turned to the illuminated scene and the thronging burgh was half depopulated, and thousands of peas-thousands below, descended once more to the gar ants were assembled from the neighbouring provin- den, passed down the steps, worked my way through ces. I was accidentally separated from all my com- the crowd, and fell into a long avenue, like all the panions; and, alone among thousands, sat down on rest of the garden, brilliantly lighted, but entirely the grass, and for an hour watched the throng pas- deserted. At the end of the avenue I came to an sing through the illuminated circle, and ascending artificial lake, opposite to which was a small square the broad steps leading toward the palace. Among two-story cottage, being the old residence of Peter all this immense crowd there was no rabble; not a the Great, the founder of all the magnificence of dress that could offend the eye; but intermingled Peterhoff. It was exactly in the style of our ordinawith the ordinary costumes of Europeans, were the ry country houses, and the furniture was of a simRussian shopkeeper, with his long surtout, his bell-plicity that contrasted strangely with the surrounding crowned hat, and solemn beard; Cossacks, and Circassian soldiers, and Calmuc Tartars, and cavalier guards; hussars, with the sleeves of their rich jackets dangling loose over their shoulders, tossing plumes, and helmets glittering with steel, intermingled throughout with the gay dresses of the ladies; while near me, and like me, carelessly stretched on the grass, under the light of thousands of lamps, was a group of peasants from Finland fiddling and dancing; the women with light hair, bands around their heads, and long jackets enwrapping their square forms, and the men with long greatcoats, broadbrimmed hats, and a bunch of shells in front. luxury and splendour. The door opened into a litthe hall, in which were two old fashioned Dutch mahogany tables, with oval leaves, legs tapering and enlarging at the feet into something like a horseshoe; just such a table as every one may remember in his grandfather's house, and recalling to mind the simple style of our own country some thirty or forty years ago. In a room on one side was the old Czar's bed, a low, broad wooden bedstead, with a sort of canopy over it, the covering of the canopy and the coverlet being of striped calico; the whole house, inside and out, was hung with lamps, illumi ning with a glare that was almost distressing the sim Leaving this brilliant scene, I joined the throng plicity of Peter's residence; and as if to give greaton the steps, and by the side of a splendid hussar, er contrast to this simplicity, while I was standing stooping his manly figure to whisper in the ears of in the door of the hall, I saw roll by me, in splendid a lovely young girl, I ascended to the place and pre-equipages, the emperour and emperess, with the sented my ticket of admission to the bal masqué, so whole of the brilliant court which I had left in the called from there being no masks there. I had not banqueting-hall, now making a tour of the garbeen presented at court, and, consequently, had only admission to the outer apartments with the people. I had, however, the range of a succession of splendid rooms, richly decorated with vases and tazzas of * * * At two o'clock the dens. |