Picnic silk stockings, with lace clocks, flesh-coloured] The town has at length allayed the titilations of are most fashionable, as they have the appearance curiosity, by fixing on two young gentlemen of liter of bare legs-nudity being all the rage. The ary talents-that is to say, they are equal to the stockings carelessly bespattered with mud, to composition of a newspaper squib, a hodge podge agree with the gown, which should be bordered criticism, or some such trifle, and may occasionally about three inches deep with the most fashionable raise a smile by their effusions; but pardon us, sweet coloured mud that can be found: the ladies per- sirs, if we modestly doubt your capability of supportmitted to hold up their trains, after they have swepting the burthen of Salmagundi, or of keeping up a two or three streets, in order to show the laugh for a whole fortnight, as we have done, and inclocks of their stockings. The shawl, scarlet, crim- tend to do, until the whole town becomes a commuson, flame, orange, salmon, or any other combus-nity of laughing philosophers like ourselves. We tible or brimstone colour, thrown over one shoul- have no intention, however, of undervaluing the der; like an Indian blanket, with one end dragging abilities of these two young men, whom we verily on the ground. believe, according to common acceptation, young men of promise. N. B. If the ladies have not a red shawl at hand, a red petticoat turned topsy-turvy, over the shoulders, would do just as well. This is called being dressed a la drabble. Were we ill-natured, we might publish something that would get our representatives into difficulties; but far be it from us to do any thing to the injury of persons to whom we are under such obligations. While they stand before us, we, like little Teu When the ladies do not go aboad of a morning, the usual chimney-corner dress is a dotted, spotted, striped, or cross-barred gown;-a yellowish, whit-cer, behind the sevenfold shield of Ajax, can launch ish, smokish, dirty-coloured shawl, and the hair curiously ornamented with little bits of newspapers, or pieces of a letter from a dear friend. This is called the "Cinderella-dress." unseen our sportive arrows, which we trust will never inflict a wound, unless like his they fly "heaven directed," to some conscious-struck bo som. The recipe for a full dress is as follows: take of Another marvellous great source of pleasure to spider-net, crape, satin, gymp, cat-gut, gauze, us, is the abuse our work has received from several whalebone, lace, bobbin, ribands, and artificial flow-wooden gentlemen, whose censures we covet more ers, as much as will rig out the congregation of a than ever we did any thing in our lives. The movillage church; to these, add as many spangles, ment we declared open war against folly and stupidbeads, and gew-gaws, as would be sufficient to turnity, we expected to receive no quarter; and to prothe heads of all the fashionable fair ones of Nootka- voke a confederacy of all the blockheads in town. sound. Let Mrs. Toole or Madame Bouchard For it is one of our indisputable facts that so sure patch all these articles together, one upon another, dash them plentifully over with stars, bugles, and tinsel, and they will altogether form a dress, which hung upon a lady's back, cannot fail of supplying the place of beauty, youth, and grace, and of reminding the spectator of that celebrated region of finery, called Rag Fair. We as you catch a gander by the tail, the whole flock, geese, goslings, one and all, have a fellow-feeling on the occasion, and begin to cackle and hiss like so many devils bewitched. As we have a profound respect for these ancient and respectable birds, on the score of their once saving the capitol, we hereby declare that we mean no offence whatever by comparing them to the aforesaid confederacy. have heard in our walks such criticisms on Salmagundi, as almost induced a belief that folly had here, ONE of the greatest sources of amusement inci- as in the east, her moments of inspired idiotism. dent to our humourous knight errantry, is to ramble Every silly royster has, as if by an instinctive sense about and hear the various conjectures of the town of anticipated danger, joined in the cry; and conrespecting our worships, whom every body pre-demned us without mercy. All is thus as it should tends to know as well as Falstaff did prince Hal at be. It would have mortified us very sensibly, had Gads-hill. We have sometimes seen a sapient, we been disappointed in this particular, as we sleepy fellow, on being tickled with a straw, make a should then have been apprehensive that our shafts furious effort and fancy he had fairly caught a gnat had fallen to the ground, innocent of the “blood or in his grasp; so, that many-headed monster, the brains" of a single numskull. Our efforts have been public, who, with all its heads, is, we fear, sadly off crowned with wonderful success. All the queer for brains, has, after long hovering, come souse fish, the grubs, the flats, the noddies, and the live down, like a king-fisher, on the authors of Salma-oak and timber gentlemen, are pointing their empty gundi, and caught them as certainly as the afore-guns at us; and we are threatened with a most said honest fellow caught the gnat. puissant confederacy of the "pigmies and cranes," Would that we were rich enough to give every and other "light militia," backed by the heavy one of our numerous readers a cent, as a reward for armed artillery of dullness and stupidity. The veritheir ingenuity! not that they have really conjec-est dreams of our most sanguine moments are thus tured within a thousand leagues of the truth, but that we consider it a great stretch of ingenuity even to have guessed wrong; and that we hold curselves much obliged to them for having taken the trouble to guess at all. One of the most tickling, dear, mischievous pleasures of this life is to laugh in one's sleeve-to sit snug in the corner, unnoticed and unknown, and hear the wise men of Gotham, who are profound judges of horse-flesh, pronounce, from the style of our work, who are the authors. This listening incog, and receiving a hearty praising over another man's back, is a situation so celestially whimsical, that we have done little else than laugh in our sleeve ever since our first number was published. realized. We have no fear of the censures of the wise, the good, or the fair; for they will ever be sacred from our attacks. We reverence the wise, love the good, and adore the fair; we declare ourselves champions in their cause; in the cause of morality;-and we throw our gauntlet to all the world besides. While we profess and feel the same indifference to public applause as at first, we most earnestly invite the attacks and censures of all the wooden warriors of this sensible city; and especially of that distinguished and learned body, heretofore celebrated under the appellation of the North-river society." The thrice valiant and renowned Don Quixote never made such work amongst the wool-clad war nors of Trapoban, or the puppets of the itinerant | My soft admonitions shall fall on your earshowman, as we promise to make among these fine fellows; and we pledge ourselves to the public in general, and the Albany skippers in particular, that the North river shall not be set on fire this winter at least, for we shall give the authors of that nefarious scheme, ample employment for some time to come. PROCLAMATION, FROM THE MILL OF PINDAR COCKLOFT, ESQ. To all the young belles who enliven our scene, From ripe five-and-forty, to blooming fifteen; Who racket at routs, and who rattle at plays, Who visit, and fidget, and dance out their days: Who conquer all hearts, with a shot from the eye, Who freeze with a frown, and who thaw with a sigh:— To all those bright youths who embellish the age, Whether young boys, or old boys, or numskull or sage: Whether DULL DOGS, who cringe at their mistress' feet, Who sigh and who whine, and who try to look sweet; Whether TOUGH DOGS, who squat down stock still in a row And play wooden gentlemen stuck up for a show; To whoe'er it concerns or may happen to meet, I'm a ci-devant beau, cousin Launcelot has saidA remnant of habits long vanish'd and dead: But still, though my heart dwells with rapture sublime, On the fashions and customs which reign'd in my prime, I yet can perceive-and still candidly praise, Some maxims and manners of these "latter days;" Still own that some wisdom and beauty appears, Though almost entomb'd in the rubbish of years. No fierce nor tyrannical cynic am I, Who frown on each foible I chance to espy; Who pounce on a novelty, just like a kite, And tear up a victim through malice or spite: Who expose to the scoffs of an ill-natured crew, A trembler for starting a whim that is new. No, no-I shall cautiously hold up my glass, To the sweet little blossoms who heedlessly pass; My remarks not too pointed to wound or offend, Nor so vague as to miss their benevolent end: Each innocent fashion shall have its full sway; New modes shall arise to astonish Broadway: Red hats and red shawls still illumine the town, And each belle, like a bon-fire, blaze up and down. Fair spirits, who brighten the gloom of our days, Who cheer this dull scene with your heavenly rays, No mortal can love you more firmly and true, From the crown of the head, to the sole of your shoe. I'm old fashion'd, 'tis true,-but still runs in my heart That affectionate stream, to which youth gave the start, More calm in its current-yet potent in force; Less ruffled by gales-but still stedfast in course. Though the lover, enraptur'd, no longer appears,'Tis the guide and the guardian enlighten'd by years. All ripen'd, and mellow'd, and soften'd by time, The asperities polish'd which chafed in my prime; I am fully prepared for that delicate end, The fair one's instructor, companion and friend. -And should I perceive you in fashion's gay dance, Allured by the frippery mongers of France, Expose your freak frames to a chill wintry sky, To be nipp'd by its frosts, to be torn from the eye; | Shall whisper those parents to whom you are dear- Like scare-crows, at least, they shall still be of use; No. IV. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1807. FROM MY ELBOW-CHAIR. PERHAPS there is no class of men to which the curious and literary are more indebted than travellers; I mean travel-mongers, who write whole volumes about themselves, their horses and their servants, interspersed with anecdotes of inn-keepers,-droll sayings of stage-drivers, and interesting memoirs of-the Lord knows who. They will give you a full account of a city, its manners, customs, and manufactures; though, perhaps, all their knowledge of it was obtained by a peep from their inn-windows, and an interesting conversation with the landlord or the waiter. America has had its share of these buzzards; and in the name of my countrymen I return them profound thanks for the compliments they have lavished upon us, and the variety of particulars concerning our own country, which we should never have discovered without their assistance. Influenced by such sentiments, I am delighted to find that the Cockloft family, among its other whimsical and monstrous productions, is about to be enriched with a genuine travel-writer. This is no less a personage than Mr. JEREMY COCKLOFT, the only son and darling pride of my cousin, Mr. CHRISTOPHER COCKLOFT. I should have said Jeremy Cockloft, the younger, as he so styles himself, by way of distinguishing him from IL SIGNORE JEREMY COCKLOFTICO, a gouty old gentleman, who flourished about the time that Pliny the elder was smoked to death with the fire and brimstone of Vesuvius; and whose travels, if he ever wrote any, are now lost for ever to the world. Jeremy is at present in his oneand-twentieth year, and a young fellow of wonderful quick parts, if you will trust to the word of his father, who, having begotten him, should be the best judge of the matter. He is the oracle of the family, dictates to his sisters on every occasion, though they are some dozen or more years older than himself;-and never did son give mother better advice than Jeremy. TITLED THE STRANGER IN NEW JER. BY JEREMY COCKLOFT, THE YOUNGER. CHAPTER I. As old Cockloft was determined his son should be MEMORANDUMS FOR A TOUR, TO BE ENboth a scholar and a gentleman, he took great pains with his education, which was completed at our university, where he became exceedingly expert in quizzing his teachers and playing billiards. No student made better squibs and crackers to blow up the chymical professor; no one chalked more ludicrous caricatures on the walls of the college; and none were more adroit in shaving pigs and climbing lightning-rods. He moreover learned all the letters of the Greek alphabet; could demonstrate that water never THE man in the moon*-preparations for depart"of its own accord" rose above the level of its ure-hints to travellers about packing their trunks source, and that air was certainly the principle of -straps, buckles, and bed-cords-case of pistols, a life; for he had been entertained with the humane la cockney-five trunks-three bandboxes—a cocked experiment of a cat worried to death in an air-pump. hat-and a medicine chest, a la Francaise-parting He once shook down the ash-house, by an artificial advice of my two sisters-quere, why old maids are earthquake; and nearly blew his sister Barbara, and so particular in their cautions against naughty women her cat, out of the window with thundering powder.description of Powles-Hook ferry-boats-might be He likewise boasts exceedingly of being thoroughly converted into gun-boats, and defend our port equally acquainted with the composition of Lacedemonian well with Albany sloops-BROM, the black ferryman black broth; and once made a pot of it, which had|--Charon--river Styx-ghosts;-major Hunt--good well-nigh poisoned the whole family, and actually story-ferryage nine-pence;-city of Harsimus-built threw the cook-maid into convulsions. But above on the spot where the folk once danced on their all, he values himself upon his logic, has the old col- stumps, while the devil fiddled ;-quere, why do the lege conundrum of the cat with three tails at his Harsimites talk Dutch?-story of the tower of Babel, finger's ends, and often hampers his father with his and confusion of tongues--get into the stage-driver syllogisms, to the great delight of the old gentleman; a wag--famous fellow for running stage races--killed who considers the major, minor, and conclusions, as three passengers and crippled nine in the course of almost equal in argument to the pulley, the wedge, his practice--philosophical reasons why stage drivers and the lever, in mechanics. In fact, my cousin love grog-causeway-ditch on each side for folk to Cockloft was once nearly annihilated with astonish- tumble into-famous place for skilly-pots; Philadel ment, on hearing Jeremy trace the derivation of phians call 'em tarapins--roast them under the ashes Mango from Jeremiah King;-as Jeremiah King, as we do potatoes-quere, may not this be the reason Jerry King! Jerking Girkin! cucumber, Mango! in that the Philadelphians are all turtle-heads?-Hackshort, had Jeremy been a student at Oxford or Cam- ensack bridge-good painting of a blue horse jumpbridge, he would, in all probability, have been pro- ing over a mountain-wonder who it was painted by; moted to the dignity of a senior wrangler. By this--mem. to ask the Baron de Gusto about it on my sketch, I mean no disparagement to the abilities of return;--Rattle-snake hill, so called from abounding other students of our college, for I have no doubt with butterflies;-salt marsh, surmounted here and that every commencement ushers into society lumi- there by a solitary hay-stack ;- --more tarapins-wonnaries full as brilliant as Jeremy Cockloft the younger. der why the Philadelphians don't establish a fishery Having made a very pretty speech on graduating, here, and get a patent for it ;-bridge over the Pasto a numerous assemblage of old folks and young saic--rate of toll-description of toll-boards-toll ladies, who all declared that he was a very fine young man had but one eye--story how it is possible he may man, and made very handsome gestures, Jeremy was have lost the other-pence-table, etc.‡ seized with a great desire to see, or rather to be seen by the world; and as his father was anxious to give him every possible advantage, it was determined Jeremy should visit foreign parts. In consequence of this resolution, he has spent a matter of three or four months in visiting strange places; and in the course of his travels has tarried some few days at the splendid metropolis' of Albany and Philadelphia. Jeremy has travelled as every modern man of sense should do; that is, he judges of things by the sample next at hand; if he has ever any doubt on a subject, always decides against the city where he happens to sojourn; and invariably takes home, as the standard by which to direct his judgment. Going into his room the other day, when he happened to be absent, I found a manuscript volume laying on his table; and was overjoyed to find it contained notes and hints for a book of travels which he intends publishing. He seems to have taken a late fashionable travel-monger for his model, and I have no doubt his work will be equally instructive and amusing with that of his prototype. The following are some extracts, which may not prove uninteresting to my readers. CHAPTER II. NEWARK-noted for its fine breed of fat musquitoes-sting through the thickest boots-story about Gailynipers-Archer Gifford and his man Calibanjolly fat fellows;-a knowing traveller always judges of every thing by the inn-keepers and waiters; set down Newark people all fat as butter-learned dissertation on Archer Gifford's green coat, with philosophical reasons why the Newarkites wear red worsted night-caps, and turn their noses to the south when the wind blows-Newark academy full of windows-sunshine excellent to make little boys growElizabeth-town-fine girls-vile musquitoes-plenty of oysters-quere, have oysters any feeling?-good story about the fox catching them by his tail-ergo. foxes might be of great use in the pearl-fishery ;-landlord member of the legislature-treats every body who has a vo-mem., all the inn-keepers members of legislature in New-Jersey; Bridge-town, vulgarly called Spank-town, from a story of a quon vide Carr's Stranger in Ireland. + vide Weld. vide Carr. Svide Weld. Ivide Carr. vide Moore. vide Weld. vide Parkinson. vide Priest. vide Linkum Eidelius, and vide Messrs. Tag, Rag, and Bobtail. dam parson and his wife-real name, according to in their demand for sturgeon--Philad、 phians gave Linkum Fidelius, Bridge-town, from bridge, a con- the preference to racoon and splacnuncs-gave trivance to get dry shod over a river or brook; and them a long dissertation on the phlegmatic nature town, an appellation given in America to the acci- of a goose's gizzard--students can't dance--always dental assemblage of a church, a tavern, and a set off with the wrong foot foremost-Duport's opinblacksmith's shop-Linkum as right as my left leg; ion on that subject-Sir Christopher Hatton the first -Rahway-river-good place for gun-boats--wonder man who ever turned out his toes in dancing-great why Mr. Jefferson don't send a river fleet there to favourite with Queen Bess on that account-Sir protect the hay-vessels ?-Woodbridge -- landlady Walter Raleigh-good story about his smoking-his mending her husband's breeches-sublime apostro- descent into New Spain-El Dorado-Candid-Dr. phe to conjugal affection and the fair sex* ;-Wood- Pangloss-Miss Cunegunde-earthquake at Lisbon bridge famous for its crab-fishery-sentimental cor- -Baron of Thundertentronck — Jesuits-Monksrespondence between a crab and a lobster-digres--Cardinal Woolsey-Pope Joan-Tom Jeffersonsion to Abelard and Eloisa;-mem., when the moon Tom Paine, and Tom the whew! N. B.-Stuis in Pisces, she plays the devil with the crabs. dents got drunk as usual. -- CHAPTER III. CHAPTER V. BRUNSWICK-oldest town in the state--division- LEFT Princeton-country finely diversified with line between two counties in the middle of the street; sheep and hay-stackst-saw a man riding alone in -posed a lawyer with the case of a man standing a wagon! why the deuce didn't the blockhead ride with one foot in each county-wanted to know in in a chair? fellow must be a fool-particular account which he was domicil-lawyer couldn't tell for the of the construction of wagons-carts, wheelbarrows soul of him-mem., all the New-Jersey lawyers and quail-traps-saw a large flock of crows-connums.;-Miss Hay's boarding-school-young ladies cluded there must be a dead horse in the neighbournot allowed to eat mustard-and why?-fat story hood-mem. country remarkable for crows-won't of a mustard-pot, with a good saying of Ding-let the horses die in peace-anecdote of a jury of crows Dong's;-Vernon's tavern-fine place to sleep, if-stopped to give the horses water-good-looking the noise would let you-another Caliban!-Vernon man came up, and asked me if I had seen his wife? slew-eyed — people of Brunswick, of course, all heavens! thought I, how strange it is that this virsquint-Drake's tavern-fine old blade- wears tuous man should ask me about his wife-story of square buckles in his shoes-tells bloody long stories Cain and Abel-stage driver took a swig-nem. set about last war-people, of course, all do the same; down all the people as drunkards-old house had Hook'em Snivy, the famous fortune-teller, born here moss on the top-swallows built in the roof-better -cotemporary with mother Shoulders-particulars place than old men's beards-story about that-derof his history-died one day--lines to his memory, ivation of words kippy, kippy, kippy and shoo-pig‡— which found their way into my pocket-book,t-mel- negro driver could not write his own name-languish. ancholy reflections on the death of great men-- ing state of literature in this country; §-philosophibeautiful epitaph on myself. cal inquiry of 'Sbidlikens, why the Americans are so much inferior to the nobility of Cheapside and Shoreditch, and why they do not eat plum-pudding on Sundays;-superfine reflections about any thing. CHAPTER IV. CHAPTER VI. PRINCETON-college-professors wear boots!-students famous for their love of a jest--set the college on fire, and burnt out the professors; an excellent joke, but not worth repeating-mem., American TRENTON-built above the head of navigation to students very much addicted to burning down col-encourage commerce-capital of the State-only leges reminds me of a good story, nothing at all to wants a castle, a bay, a mountain, a sea, and a volthe purpose-two societies in the college-good no-cano, to bear a strong resemblance to the Bay of tion-encourages emulation, and makes little boys Naples-supreme court sitting-fat chief justicefight-students famous for their eating and erudi-used to get asleep on the bench after dinner-gave tion-saw two at the tavern, who had just got their judgment, I suppose, like Pilate's wife, from his allowance of spending-money-laid it all out in a dreams-reminded me of Justice Bridlegoose decidsupper-got fuddled, and d -d the professors for ing by a throw of a die, and of the oracle of the holy nincoms. N. B. Southern gentlemen.-Church-yard bottle-attempted to kiss the chambermaid-boxed -apostrophe to grim death-saw a cow feeding on my ears till they rung like our theatre-bell-girl had a grave-metempsychosis-who knows but the cow lost one tooth-mem. all the American ladies prudes, may have been eating up the soul of one of my an- and have bad teeth;-Anacreon Moore's opinion on cestors-made me melancholy and pensive for fifteen the matter.-State-house-fine place to see the stur minutes;-man planting cabbagest-wondered how geons jump up-quere, whether sturgeons jump up by he could plant them so straight-method of mole- an impulse of the tail, or whether they bounce up from. catching and all that-quere, whether it would not the bottom by the elasticity of their noses-Linkum be a good notion to ring their noses as we do pigs- Fidelius of the latter opinion-I too-sturgeons' nose mem., to propose it to the American Agricultural capital for tennis-balls-learnt that at school-went to Society-get a premium, perhaps ;-commencement a ball-negro wench principal musician !—N. B. Peo-students give a ball and supper-company from New-York, Philadelphia, and Albany-great contest which spoke the best English--Albanians vociferous vide The Sentimental Kotzebue, t vide Carr and Blind Bet I ple of America have no fiddlers but females !-origin of the phrase, "fiddle of your heart "-reasons why vide Priest. + vide Carr. vide Carr's learned derivation of gee and whoa. I Carr. vide Carr. § Moore. men fiddle better than women;-expedient of the Amazons who were expert at the bow-waiter at the city-tavern-good story of his-nothing to the purpose-never mind-fill up my book like Carrmake it sell. Saw a democrat get into the stage followed by his dog.* N. B. This town remarkable for dogs and democrats-superfine sentiment-good story from Joe Miller-ode to a piggin of butterpensive meditations on a mouse-hole-make a book as clear as a whistle! No. V.-SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1807. FROM MY ELBOW-CHAIR. done at the hint of a cunning old engineer, who as sured them it was the only way in which their fortifications would ever be able to keep up a warm fire. ECONOMY, my friend, is the watch-word of this nation; I have been studying for a month pas to divine its meaning, but truly am as much per plexed as ever. It is a kind of national starvation; an experiment how many comforts and necessaries the body politic can be deprived of before it perishes. It has already arrived to a lamentable degree of debility, and promises to share the fate of the Arabian philosopher, who proved that he could live without food, but unfortunately died just as he had brought his experiment to perfection. On arriving at the battery, I found an immense army of SIX HUNDRED MEN, drawn up in a true Mussulman crescent. At first I supposed this was in compliment to myself, but my interpreter informed THE following letter of my friend Mustapha me that it was done merely for want of room; the appears to have been written some time subsequent corporation not being able to afford them sufficient to the one already published. Were I to judge from to display in a straight line. As I expected a disits contents, I should suppose it was suggested by play of some grand evolutions, and military manœuthe splendid review of the twenty-fifth of last No-vres, I determined to remain a tranquil spectator, in vember; when a pair of colours was presented at the hopes that I might possibly collect some hints which City-Hall, to the regiments of artillery; and when a might be of service to his highness. huge dinner was devoured, by our corporation, in the This great body of men I perceived was under the honourable remembrance of the evacuation of this command of a small bashaw, in yellow and gold, city. I am happy to find that the laudable spirit of with white nodding plumes, and most formidable military emulation which prevails in our city has at-whiskers; which, contrary to the Tripolitan fashion, tracted the attention of a stranger of Mustapha's were in the neighbourhood of his ears instead of his sagacity; by military emulation I mean that spirited nose. He had two attendants called aid-de-camps, rivalry in the size of a hat, the length of a feather, (or tails) being similar to a bashaw with two tails. and the gingerbread finery of a sword belt. The bashaw, though commander-in-chief, seemed to have little more to do than myself; he was a spectator within the lines and I without: he was clear of the rabble and I was encompassed by them; this was the only difference between us, except that he had the best opportunity of showing his clothes. I waited an hour or two with exemplary patience, expecting to see some grand military evolutions or a sham battle exhibited; but no such thing took place; the men stood stock still, supporting their arms, groaning under the fatigues of war, and now and then sending out a foraging party to levy contributions of beer and a favourite beverage which they denominate grog. As I perceived the crowd very active in examining the line, from one extreme to the other, and as I could see no other purpose for which these sunshine warriors should be exposed so long to the merciless attacks of wind and weather, I of course concluded that this must be the review. LETTER FROM MUSTAPHA RUB-A-DUB TO ABDALLAH EB'N AL RAHAB, SURNAMED THE THOU hast heard, oh Abdallah, of the great magician, MULEY Fuz, who could change a blooming land, blessed with all the elysian charms of hill and dale, of glade and grove, of fruit and flower, into a desert, frightful, solitary, and forlorn ;-who with the wave of his wand could transform even the disciples of Mahomet into grinning apes and chattering monkeys. Surely, thought I to inyself this morning, the dreadful Muley has been exercising his infernal enchantments on these unhappy infidels. Listen, oh Abdallah, and wonder! Last night I committed myself to tranquil slumber, encompassed with all the monotonous tokens of peace, and this morning I awoke enveloped in the noise, the bustle, the clangor, and the shouts of war. Every thing was changed as if by magic. An immense army had sprung up, like mushrooms, in a night; and all the cobblers, tailors, and tinkers of the city had mounted the nodding plume; had become, in the twinkling of an eye, helmetted heroes and war-worn veterans. Alarmed at the beating of drums, the braying of trumpets, and the shouting of the multitude, I dressed myself in haste, sallied forth, and followed a prodigious crowd of people to a place called the battery. This is so denominated, I am told, from having once been defended with formidable wooden bulwarks, which in the course of a hard winter were thriftily pulled to pieces by an economic corporation, to be distributed for fire-wood among the poor; this was In about two hours the army was put in motion, and marched through some narrow streets, where the economic corporation had carefully provided a soft carpet of mud, to a magnificent castle of painted brick, decorated with grand pillars of pine boards. By the ardor which brightened in each countenance, I soon perceived that this castle was to undergo a vigorous attack. As the ordnance of the castle was perfectly silent, and as they had nothing but a straight street to advance through, they made their approaches with great courage and admirable regularity, until within about a hundred feet of the castle a pump opposed a formidable obstacle in their way, and put the whole army to a nonplus. The circumstance was sudden and unlooked for; the commanding officer ran over all the military tactics with which his head was crammed, but none offered any expedient for the present awful emergency. The pump maintained its post, and so did the commander; there was no knowing which was most at a stand. The commanding officer ordered his men to wheel and take it in flank; the army accordingly wheeled and came full butt against it in the rear, exactly as they were |