So much for the year; let us now correct the day of the month. The act of Parliament in its preamble states: "Whereas, the Julian calendar hath been discovered to be erroneous, by means whereof the spring equinox, which, at the Council of Nice, A.D. 325, happened on the 21st of March, now happens on the tenth day of the same month; and the said error is still increasing, therefore, etc., etc." It then enacts, in order to drop the eleven intermediate days, that the day after the 2d of September, 1752, shall be reckoned and called the 14th of September, thus making September of that year to have only nineteen days. This change, as well as the one setting back the beginning of 1752 fro.n March 25 to January 1, was naturally applied to all previous dates, and thus Washington's birthday has ever since been known and taken as February 22, 1732.

The dropping of those days gave great offense to the populace of London, as is evident from the caricatures of the time. Those who are familiar with Hogarth's pictures satirizing the politics of his day will remember the flag displayed at the Election Entertainment," containing the words, "Give us our eleven days," which shows how unpopular this reform of the calendar was, and how it was resented by the people as an arbitrary interference with their social life.

A few words of further explanation will close this article. Dates previous to 1752 are likely to mislead us only in the months of January, February and March, for these are the only months whose place has been changed. Consequently, in the dates of letters prior to 1752 we often see both years put down, but only in these three months. Take, for illustration, Oglethorpe's letters from Savannah, as published in the Historical Society's collections, where occur the dates February 27, 173, March 17, 1738, January 29, 173, etc., all of which, by new style, are to be considered the latter year. As these dates, however, are copies of the MSS. letters, the true days of the month, according to our reckoning, must be obtained by adding eleven days to each date. This does not apply, of course, to published dates in English history, for they have already been rectified to suit the new style, of which, besides the case of Washington's, Franklin's birth is an example, whose date is received as January 17, though it is known to have occurred on the 6th. WM. S. BOGART

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

PROFESSOR RIVERS' REPLY

Editor of the MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN HISTORY: Some printed sheets have been sent to me containing remarks of Professor Oliver P. Hubbard on a passage of mine in the Narrative and Critical History of America, to which I ought, at least in part, to reply. Neither the extremely careful editor of that work, nor the competent critics on North Carolina history to whose judgment what I had written was submitted, noticed any fault in the passage on which Professor Hubbard com

ments. The historian Martin stated that Governor Burrington in 1731 sent Dr. Brickell to the western Indians. On his authority, with proper reference, this was repeated by me; and as that section of the Province was then a terra incognita, any attempt to explore it was commendable, any information about its inhabitants. especially interesting. The governor himself made some little attempt in that direction. (Colonial Records of North Carolina, Vol. III., p. 489.) The rep-. etition of Martin's statement was a kindness to the much-abused governor. In my remark no comparison was made between Brickell and Lawson; no "literary judgment" given. The note of Mr. Winsor (Vol. V., p. 344) was sufficient criticism on the character of Dr. Brickell's book. That my remark makes me the "champion" of Brickell and "responsible" for his statements, whether about buffalo calves or Indian towns, is strange reasoning. If he said there was a town of Iroquois (whom the Tuscaroras had joined) in North Carolina in or about 1731, how am I responsible for it? I do not know that these Indians were there, "some 500 miles from their native seat." The governor of North Carolina says some of them were there, in September of that year. His language is: "We expect our Indians will be attacked by those of South Carolina. The Northern Indians called the Five Nations are in alliance and amity with ours, and have promised to assist them with a thousand men, part of which are already come into this Province" (Colonial Records, Vol. III., p. 202). But Professor Hubbard says Brickell was not in North Carolina that year, that he accomplished his journey “before the governor was appointed in England, near ten months before he arrived in North Carolina; and, more, Brickell left the country before the governor came." If this be so, who was the "John Brickell" who with others in North Carolina thanked the king for appointing Burrington governor in the address dated April 1, 1731 ? (Colonial Records, Vol. III., p. 135.) Can it be proved that this John Brickell was not the same as he who published the book in 1737 ?

Professor Hubbard says: "We will assume that Brickell set out the 25th February, 1730." I have not a copy of Brickell within reach, and suggest that Professor Hubbard examine if the date be old style. If this is so, the year will be 1731, which will bring Brickell in contact with Burrington, corroborate Martin at least in date, and explain the "John Brickell" of April 1, 1731.

CHESTERTOWN, Mo.

WM. J. RIVERS

P. S. Since the printing of the chapter on the Carolinas four volumes of the Colonial Records of North Carolina have been published. The larger partis from MSS. in England. This new material enables me to see where amendments could be now made, although the editor of these valuable records had kindly assisted me so far as the MSS. had come to hand while the chapter was in preparation. The prefatory notes to each volume point out and briefly discuss defects and errors in the histories of the colonial period.

THE NORTHWESTERN COUNTRY IN 1797

The following extracts from a journal kept by Major Caleb Swan, paymaster to the Western Army, were transmitted to his friend, Capt. Frederick Frye, of the artillery, stationed at Governor's Island, New York, in 1798, who gave them for publication to Dr. E. H. Smith, editor of the Medical Repository, where they originally appeared :

D'Etroit, October 10, 1797.

"THI HIS country is yet new, and almost in a state of nature, like its inhabit

ants. It is true, the soil is extremely rich and fertile; and it is to a superabundant burden of vegetation, and a flat surface for hundreds of miles together, producing much stagnant water, that we may attribute the unwholesomeness of the climate, which is almost certain to affect the inhabitants with bilious complaints every fall." *

General Wilkinson arrived here in June, this year; and, after making some prompt arrangements for the garrison, proposed a voyage to Michilimackinac, and invited me to accompany him; and on the 4th day of August, we embarked in a sloop of about 70 tons burden. We had a safe and pleasant trip, not only to Michilimackinac, but even into Lake Superior; and returned to this place, on the 4th of last month, highly gratified indeed.

We first left this place, and traversed Lake Sinclair, a handsome circular lake, about twenty-five miles across. We then proceeded up the river of that name, which is broad and very handsome, for about forty miles, to a rapid at the entrance of Lake Huron; traversed this immense, beautiful lake, three hundred miles long; and arrived, on the 15th of August, at a streight which unites it to Lake Michigan. This streight is broad; and the Isle de Bois Blanc, or White-Wood Island, Round Island, and Michilimackinac Island, form a cluster in the middle of the streight, and afford a romantic and majestic landscape from the sea. The Isle de Bois Blanc is eleven miles and a half long, and from two or three wide, lying parallel to the two coasts of the streight, but nearest to the south side. Round Island is about three miles in circumference, and lies at the upper or south-west end of De Bois Blanc. The Island of Michilimackinac is circular, and lies between the upper end of De Bois Blanc and the north-western coast of the straight? having a channel of about one mile and a half between it and De Bois Blanc, and a channel of nine miles between it and the north-western coast of the straight. It measures seven miles and three quarters in circumference, and is nearly circular. On the south side of this island, there is a small bason, of a segment of a circle, serving as an excellent harbour for vessels of any burden, and for canoes. Around this bason the village is built, having two streets of nearly a quarter of a mile in length, a Roman chapel, and containing eighty-nine houses and stores; some of them [* These remarks have particular reference to the neighbourhood of D'Etroit.]

spacious and handsome, with white lime plastering in front, which shews to great advantage from the sea. At one end, and in the rear of the town, is an elegant government-house, of immense size, and finished with great taste. It is in the form of ; one story high, the rooms fifteen feet and an half in the clear. It has a spacious garden in front, laid out with taste; and extending from the house, on a gentle declivity, to the water's edge. There are two natural limpid springs in the rear of the house, and a very lively grove of sugar-trees, called the park. Suitable out-houses, stables, and offices are added; and it is enriched on three sides with beautiful distant prospects. Twenty rods from the rear, there is a sudden and almost perpendicular ascent of about a hundred feet of rock, upon the top of which stands the fort, built of stone and lime, with towers, bastions, &c., occupied by our troops and commanded by Major Burbeck. About half a mile from the fort, in the rear, there is an eminence, which I estimate to be about two hundred and fifty feet from the surface of the water. This spot commands an extensive and sublime view of the adjacent country. The fort, the village, the neighbouring islands and channels seem prostrated at your feet; while, to the south-west, you look into the immensity of Lake Michigan, which loses itself in the southern hemisphere; and, to the north-west, the great Lake Huron lies expanded to the bounds of the horizon. It was a beautiful morning when I had this view.

This celebrated streight is the only key to the immense, lucrative skin-trade, now solely carried on by British subjects from Montreal with the nations of Indians called the Sauteurs or Chipewas, Sioux, Reynards, &c., who inhabit the watercourses that fall into the Mississippi between the Illinois and the Falls of St. Anthony. Canoes are loaded and fitted out by these traders every year from Michilimackinac. They commonly set out in July, and return in June, July, or August the year following to Michilimackinac, from whence they started. Here they are again met by the Montreal canoes, with fresh goods, exchange loading, and each return from whence they came. The Montreal canoes penetrate to Michilimackinac by way of Grand River, which, with the exception of a small portage, conveys them to the northern point of Lake Huron, and return by the same route. Those from Michilimackinac penetrate the interior, or Indian country, by way of Green Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan; thence through Fox River into the Mississippi and its tributary streams, and return also to Michilimackinac by the same route.

On the 22d of August we left Michilimackinac, and on the 23d anchored in the streight of St. Joseph, which leads to Lake Superior. At this place Nature has displayed very handsomely again. The mouth of the streight is about thirty miles wide, but so strewed over with innumerable small circular islands that it is difficult to obtain a view in any direction of more than six or eight miles. Indians have sometimes been lost among these islands for weeks together. They extend into Lake Huron, and continue along the north-west coast of the lake for an hundred and eighty miles, and are called by the savages the Meneto, or Devil's islands. From the entrance of the streight, at a place called the Detour,

it is nine miles to the new British garrison, built on the point of the island of St. Joseph, commonly called the Carraboo Island. This is the largest in the streight, being about twenty-five miles long, and from ten to three broad.

On the 23d of August we left the vessel, embarked in three canoes, ascended the streight in what is called the canoe channel, and encamped at Muskito Point. The 24th, at one o'clock P.M., we arrived at the Falls of St. Marie, called le saut de St. Marie. These falls are about three-quarters of a mile long and half a mile wide, the rapid not violent, and the perpendicular of the whole fall about thirty feet. There is a small kind of village on the United States side, containing sundry large ware-houses and a few decent dwelling-houses, occupied by the agents of the Canada North-west Trading Company. There is not a clear white woman in the place.

On the 26th we set off, in two bark canoes from the upper end of the portage, for Lake Superior. . . . At one o'clock, P.M., we entered Lake Superior, looked fairly into it, drank of its waters, ate our dinner, and put about, with a fine fair wind. We reached the falls again at four o'clock in the afternoon; placed experienced guides with strong paddles in the bow and stern of each canoe, hoisted the fifteen stripes, and launched into the bosom of the cataract. In a moment we were safe in the bason at the bottom of the falls!

We embarked early on the 27th. Having a strong current and fair wind, we descended in the ship channel and reached the vessel at Carraboo Island at nine o'clock in the evening.

The 29th we put to sea again; and on the 4th of September, at sun-down, reached this place.

I inclose to you, herewith, degrees of heat which were ascertained by regular observation with Farenheit's Thermometer every day, by which you will perceive that the temperature of the lakes differs widely from that of the Atlantic country.”

ON comparing the Table of Observations, which is annexed, with observations made on the same days in this city, the difference will appear so remarkable that the reader may suspect some error in the instrument made use of by Major Swan, and such were my suspicions. But crossing the East River to Governor's Island in company with that gentleman on the 4th of March, 1798, he observed that the wind, which we then felt, and which was very brisk, resembled, in point of temperature, that which he experienced on Lake Huron on the 14th and 15th of August, 1797, and added that, on the same evening, a frost affected the gardens at Michilimackinac so severely as to destroy the greater part of the vegetables.

E. H. SMITH