maps, he is constrained to the performance of duties which pertain to the geographical, rather than to the geological department of science, yet all that can be accomplished in either branch, with the means placed at his disposal, may be confidently expected from his discriminating zeal and untiring perseverance,

Owing, perhaps, to the soda and lime which are constituents of the labradoritic rock, and its somewhat easy decomposition when exposed to the action of the elements, the soil of this region is quite favorable to the growth of the forests as well as the purposes of agriculture. The beds of iron ore which are found on the waters of the Hudson, at McIntyre, probably surpass in richness and extent, any that have been discovered in other countries. In future prospect, this may be considered as the Wales of the American continent, and with its natural resources duly improved, it will, at no distant period, sustain a numerous and hardy population. New York, November 1, 1837.

OUR NATIONAL FLAG.

THE Hon. Joel R. Poinsett, now Secretary of War, of the United States, related the following incident at a publick meeting in Charleston during the nullification controversy some years since :

:

It appears unaccountable that the elevation of this region at the sources of the Hudson should have been, hitherto, so greatly underrated. Even Darby, in his admirable work on American geography, estimates the fall of the rivers which enter Lake Champlain from the west, as similar to those on the east, which he states to be from five hundred to one thousand feet." The same writer also estimates the height of the table land from which the Hudson flows, at something more than one thousand feet! The mountains of this region, appear to have almost escaped the notice of geographical writers, and in one of our best Gazetteers, that of Darby and Dwight, published in 1833, the elevation of the mountains in Essex county, is stated at one thousand two hundred feet. In Macauley's History of New York, published in Albany in 1829, there "Wherever I have been, (says Mr Poinsett,) I is however, an attempt to describe the mountains of have been proud of being a citizen of this great rethe northern district of the state, by dividing them publick, and in the remotest corners of the earth into six distinct ranges. This description is neces- have walked erect and secure under that banner sarily imperfect, as regards the central portion of which our opponents would tear down and trample the group; but this author appears to have more under foot. I was in Mexico when that city was nearly appreciated the elevation of these mountains taken by assault. The house of the American amthan any former writer. He states the elevation of bassador was then, as it ought to be, the refuge of Whiteface at only two thousand six hundred feet, and the distressed and persecuted; it was pointed out to the highest part of the most westerly or Chateaugua the infuriated soldiery as a place filled with their range at three thousand feet. To the mountains enemies. They rushed to the attack. My only near the highest source of the Hudson, including defence was the flag of my country, and it was probably the High Peak, he has given the name flung out at the instant that hundreds of muskets of the Clinton range, and has estimated their eleva- were levelled at us. Mr. Mason, (a braver man tion from six hundred, to two thousand feet! He never stood by his friend in the hour of danger,) and also describes the West Branch of the Hudson myself placed ourselves beneath its waving folds, which rises near the eastern border of Herkimer and the attack was suspended. We did not blench, county, as being the principal stream. The North- for we felt strong in the protecting arm of this west Branch, which unites with the main North mighty republick. We told them that the flag that Branch, a few miles below Lake Sanford, he de- waved over us was the banner of that nation to scribes as rising on the borders of Franklin and Es- whose example they owed their liberties, and to sex counties and as pursuing a more extended whose protection they were indebted for their safety. course than the North Branch. Perhaps this de- The scene changed as by enchantment, and those scription may be found correct, although information men who were on the point of attacking my house received from other sources does not seem to con- and massacring the inhabitants, cheered the flag of firm the position. our country and placed sentinels to protect it from It is understood that Prof. Emmons, in pursuing outrage. Fellow citizens, in such a moment as his geological explorations, has ascended another of that, would it have been any protection to me and the principal peaks situated easterly of the highest mine to have proclaimed myself a Carolinian? Should source of the Hudson, and made other observations I have been here to tell you this tale if I had hung which will be of value in settling the geography of out the Palmetto and the single star? Be assured this region. The professor finds the northern dis- that to be respected abroad, we must maintain our trict of the state, to be one of great interest to the place in the Union." geologist, and although from the deficiencies of our

* Darby's View of the U. S. p. 242.

+ Ib. p. 140.

The human heart rises against oppression, and is soothed by gentleness, as the wave of the ocean

Macauley's History of New York, Vol. I. p. 2 to 9 and 20, rises in proportion to the violence of the winds, and sinks with the breeze into mildness and serenity.

21, Albany, 1829.

INDIAN SUMMER-AMERICAN FORESTS, AND THE
INFLUENCE OF THE GREAT LAKES ON OUR
AUTUMN SUNSETS.

with the frequent auroral ministers that attend his exit in this latitude, lead us to marvel, and rever. ence and worship the Power that spreads and gilds the bannery tent-displaying a handiwork man can only admire and enjoy, not imitate.

THE beauty, blandness and mingled glories of a Western Indian Summer belong alike to earth and sky. In the valley of the great Lakes they are The theory of this writer accounts for the sucblent with a, mellow richness and loveliness un- cessive flushes of golden and scarlet light so often known in other climes. The spirits of beauty can observed to rise and blend and deepen in the west worship in no temple more resplendent than the as the sun approaches the horizon, and sink below arched heavens lit up by an Autumn sunset, and it, by the supposition that each lake, one after the burnished with flashes and crimson colourings, deep- other, lends its reflecting light to the visible portion ened by the many-teinted foliage of the primeval of the atmosphere, and thus as one fades, another woods, mirrored and reflected from waters broad flings its mass of radiance across the heavens, and and bright as the Mediterraneans of the old world. acting on a medium prepared for its reception, proThe forest-pen nor pencil can do justice to the longs the splendid phenomena. He says:spectacle it presents, when the frost of a night has "We have for years noticed these appearances, changed the lingering green of a summer. "It is as and marked the fact, that in the early part of Sepif a myriad of rainbows were laced through the tember, the sunsets are of unusual brilliancy, and tree-tops-as if the sunsets of a summer-gold, more prolonged, than at other times. They are at purple and crimson-had been fused in the alembick this season, immediately after the sun goes down, of the west, and poured back in a new deluge of accompanied by pencils or streamers of the richest light and colour over the wilderness. It is as if light, which, diverging from the position of the sun, every leaf in those countless trees had been planted appear above the horizon, and are sometimes so to outflush the tulip—as if, by some electrick miracle, well defined that they can be distinctly traced to the the dies of the earth's heart had struck upward, and her crystals and ores, her sapphires, hyacinths and rubies, had led forth their imprisoned colours, to mount through the roots of the forest, and, like the angels that in olden time, entered the bodies of the dying, reanimate the perishing leaves, and revel an hour in their bravery."

zenith. At other seasons of the year, clouds just below the horizon at sunset produce a somewhat similar result in the formation of brushes of light; and elevated ranges of mountains by intercepting and dividing the rays, whether direct or reflected, effect the same appearances; but in this case there are no elevated mountains, and on the finest of these evenings the sky is perfectly cloudless. The uniformity of these pencils at the same season for a great number of years, prove the permanency of their cause, and lead us to trace their origin to the peculiar configuration of the country bordering on the great lakes.

A writer in a late number of the "Oasis" advances the plausible theory that the chain of lakes lying in a great circle from south of west to north, add much to the splendour of our Autumn sunsets. Rays of light falling on a reflecting surface, slide off, so to speak, in a corresponding angle of elevation or depression, whatever it may be. The writer consid- "At the time of the year these streamers are the ers the great American lakes as vast mirrors spread most distinct, a line drawn from this point (Oswego) horizontally upon the earth, reflecting the rays of to the sun would pass over a small part of the west the sun that fall upon them according to the optical end of Lake Ontario, the greatest diameter of Lake laws that govern this phenomenon. The higher Huron, and across a considerable portion of Lake the sun is above the horizon, the less distance the Superiour. From considerations connected with reflecting rays would have to pass through the atmo- the figure of the earth, and the relative position of sphere, and of course, the less would be the effect the sun and the lakes, with the hills that border Lake produced; while at or near the time of setting, the Huron on the east, it appears clear to us that the direct rays striking horizontally upon the waters, the broken line of these hills acts the part of clouds or direction of the reflecting rays must be so also, and mountains in other circumstances in intercepting therefore pass over or through the greatest possible and dividing into pencils the broad mass of light reamount of atmosphere previous to their final disper-flected from the Huron, and thus creating those sion. Objects on the earth's surface, if near the reflecting body, require but little elevation to impress their irregularities on the reflected light. Any considerable eminences on the eastern shores of the great lakes would produce the effect of lessening or totally intercepting these rays at the moment the sun was in a position nearly or quite horizontal. The reflective power of a surface of water is much greater than that of earth, which accounts for the admitted superiour beauty and brilliancy of autumnal sunsets in the northern, over the most gorgeous in

the southern states.

The views of this writer may be novel, yet his hints are worthy the attention of the curious. The succession of most resplendent sunsets for the past several weeks, when not destroyed by atmospherick derangement attending storms, the effulgence which continues to curtain the chambers of the day-king

splendid streamers, by which, as it were, the commencement of autumn is marked. As the sun still advances to the south, the pencils formed by the highlands are lost to us, but in their place come two broad ones, caused by the feebler reflective powers of the isthmuses that separate St. Clair from the Huron, and the former from Lake Erie. This occurs not far from the middle of September, when the sun sets a few degrees north of west, and can be observed nearly a month. These interruptions of the brilliance of the west are not, however, of the duration of those effected by the hills, as the sun has scarcely time to leave the surface of the Huron before these pencils and breaks are all abruptly melted into the rich dark crimson that floats up from the Michigan or the mighty Superiour.

"After the southern declination of the sun has become such that the Huron range of hills is to the

northward of the range of light reflected to us, | below Satartia, in Yazoo county, the Sun Flowerthese pencils disappear from the heavens apparently, two hundred miles long, and navigable for steamand do not return until, with another season, and a boats-puts in from the right, or Washington county renewed atmosphere, the sun is found in the same side. Within fifteen miles of its mouth, it receives position. The reason of this is, the whole of the Deer creek from the right, and finally, after a course Michigan peninsula is so level that it does not of seven hundred miles, empties into the Mississippi, break the reflected light from that lake; and the twelve miles above the flourishing city of Vicksbroader ones made by breaks in the chain of lakes burgh. From one point of the Yazoo, known as the from Erie to Huron, are not of a nature to be so Chickasaw bayou, it is only seven miles through distinctly marked as those produced by the inter- for skiffs, in high water, to Vicksburgh: while it is ception of rays by hills or clouds. thirty round.

in latitude thirty-three degrees, fifteen minutes, it passes into the state of Alabama, and flows on to join the stream of that name. It divides the counties of Monroe and Lowndes nearly centrally. It has been navigated by steamboats, within our state, one hundred miles or more, to Cotton-Gin-Port, ninety miles above Columbus, and six hundred from the gulf of Mexico; from whence, to its source, it is about seven hundred and fifty miles.

The Oktibbeha is a branch of the Bigby, as it is familiarly called, and enters it from the west, four miles above Columbus. It may be navigated twenty miles, to Mahew.

Noxubee river, which gives its name to a county, is another branch, one hundred and thirty miles long, and rises in our state.

hay, is about four hundred miles; of which two hundred miles or more may be navigated.

Homochitto river rises in the county of Copiah, a few miles south westerly of Gallatin, and after a course of three hundred miles, enters the Mississippi above Fort Adams. It has been ascended two hundred miles.

DESTRUCTION OF THE JANIZARIES BY MAH-
MOUD II.

THE destruction of the Janizaries will ever be considered as one of the most memorable events in the history of the reign of the Sultan Mahmoud, a Pascagoula river disembogues into the gulf of Mexico. It is formed by the union of the Chicka-portrait of whom is given below. The Janizarics sawhay from the north, and Leaf river from the were a famous military body; the name signify. northwest. Its length, following the Chickasaw-ing, new soldiers; it was created by the Emperour

Orcan, about the middle of the fourteenth century, | tan placed himself at the head of the male populaand was regularly organized by his successor, Am- tion of the capital, and the Janizaries were then urath I. summoned to come under the sacred standard.

The corps of Janizaries, like that of the Egyp-They refused; the mufti then declared that the tian Mamelukes, was at first recruited exclusively law had ceased to protect them, and the sultan from young Christian captives; afterward, however, added that their lives were forfeited. They were native born Turks were admitted. As the pay of now attacked by a furious people, and by the regthe corps was large, and as it possessed great ad- ular troops. The Janizaries presented no resistvantages and exorbitant privileges, recruits were sel- ance; they stood as it were in a stupor, and perishdom wanted, and the corps was divided into those ed by fire and sword. The gates of the city had who were in actual service, and those who were been closed so that there was no escape. Several called upon in case of war; the latter received no thousand persons were taken, some of whom were pay, but were entitled to all other privileges. At liberated, while those who were told to "go and the time of its destruction, this body was composed consult the mufti," were strangled by the execuof one hundred and ninety-seven ortas or legions, of tioners. More than eight thousand Janizaries perone thousand men each.

ished in Constantinople alone. A large number were executed in the provinces; many were banished to Asia, and the rest were disarmed and mingled with the population.

On the 17th of June, the body of Janizaries was dissolved by a decree: the term was declared infamous, and their memory was execrated. Thus perished at one blow, a body of military, formidable for its power, and which had existed for more than four hundred years.

Having contributed actively to the aggrandizement of the Turkish empire, the Janizaries, like most purely military bodies, the Pretorians of Rome, the Strelitz of Russia, and the Mamelukes of Egypt, became a formidable body; they made emperours and displaced them. Many sultans had attempted to destroy this dangerous institution, or to neutralize its influence by enrolling new troops. From the commencement of the eighteenth century, two emperours, Selim III. and Mustapha IV., had paid for Mahmoud II., is the son of the emperour Abdul their attempts, by the loss of throne and life. Mah- Hamid, who died in 1789; his mind is highly cultimoud II., the cousin of one and brother of the vated, and he speaks and writes with eloquence; other, who had obtained the imperial purple through his external appearance, however, is by no means a revolt, determined to accomplish this enterprise or remarkable, and the semi-European costume which to perish with them. For fifteen years he plotted he has adopted, deprives him of the advantage of against these Janizaries, who being naturally ene- the oriental dress; his manners, however, are affamies of all innovations, had remained stationary ble, dignified, and sometimes imposing.

while all Europe was advancing in civilization.

PROFESSOR MORSE'S ELECTRO-MAGNETICK

TELEGRAPH.

Ir is with some degree of pride, that it falls to our lot first to announce the complete success of this wonderful piece of mechanism, and no place could have been found more suitable to pursue the course machinery than the Speedwell Works. Replete as of experiments necessary to perfecting the detail of they are with every convenience, Professor Morse quietly pursued the great object, and has finally succeeded. Others may have suggested the possibility of conveying intelligence by electricity, but this is the first instance of its actual transmission and per

Mahmoud, who by his conduct had gained the respect and affection of the Ottoman people, had already acquired the moral elements of success; and by organizing small troops of artillery devoted to himself and hostile to the Janizaries, had also prepared the material for triumphing by force. At the end of May, 1826, it was determined in council that a military reform was necessary for the safety of the Ottoman race, and it was decided that the Janizaries should furnish their contingent of the new troops. At first, the military received this resolution with coldness, but when it was attempted to enforce the order, they mutinied, and on the 14th of June, in the evening, they were in full revolt. They ravaged Constantinople, pillaged and burned several of the publick buildings, and the next day assembled on The telegraph consists of four parts : the square of the Atmeidan. The government how- 1st. The battery-A Cruikshank's galvanick ever was ready; the most energetick measures trough of sixty pair of plates, seven by eight and a were determined upon. The sacred standard of the half inches each. 2d. The portrule-An instruProphet was displayed at the mosque of Achmet, rule answers to the stick of the printers, and in it ment which regulates the motion of the rule. The and every faithful Mussulman was commanded to the type representing the numbers to be transmitted take arms, and to rally under this banner. The sul-are passed beneath the lever which closes and breaks

manent accord.