produced conflicting hypotheses upon the disposal of the accumulated waters that inundated its lowest point of depression. -Major Rennel assumed the lead amongst those who discharged the Niger and its tributaries into an African Caspian, or who dissipated its mass of water amongst the sands of interior Africa. Many, as well as Mr. Pinkerton, considered a river passing a chain of mountains as an extravagance of human imagination. But nature, without being influenced by any human system, it appears has actually permitted the Niger to find its way to the Atlantic Ocean, through sandy deserts and craggy mountains, and will, it is probable, soon enable the hand of science to confer upon this great stream the second, if not the first rank, amongst the rivers of this globe. Like all other rivers of great length, in tropical countries, the quantity of water in the Niger, or Zaire, must differ very much in the dry and sandy seasons; and must also present that feature, so remarkable in the Nile, of a regular rise and fall. Having its entire course within the tropics, its banks must be suitable to the production of an infinite variety of the most valuable vegetables, and if the sunbeams of civilization should ever penetrate the center of Africa, this noble river may contribute its rich resources to future nations of enlightened men. Without dilating this communication to an undue length, I could not insert all that occurs upon the subject; I will conclude by a summary of the evidence, and facts proved. Blue River ... 2283 3252 47 2076 30 33 2283 33 1868 27 2214 32 2076 30 26 2283 33 Rio de la Plate 1799 The above table is constructed by measuring the respective rivers with a sweep of five degrees of a great circle. This method omits the smaller curves, but yields an accurate result upon the comparative lengths. You will perceive that the Zaire is nearly one thousand miles longer than any other river on the globe. There is every reason to believe that the magnitude of this mighty stream is correspondent to its length of course. I hope you may find the scattered reflections contained in this communication satisfactory. Dear Sir, Yours with respect and esteem, With the foregoing, the Editor received the following Letter from Mr. Darby. From the quotation drawn from Mentelle it is demonstrated that the Arab, or Hebrew language, was established, or MR. THOMAS EDDY. mingled with the native dialects of the most remote regions upon the Niger, 2200 years past. It is also shown, from the same testimony, that the radix of the name of Wassanah was known to Ptolemy, who placed it nearly where Wassanah was found by Sidi Hamet. It has also been shown that the probability is strong that the nouns, Ta-Gana, Gana, Gang, Chinny, Guinné, Ozané, Cassena, New-York, December 15th, 1818. MR. HOLLEY, The enclosed Essay on Riley's Narrative was written, as you will perceive, near nine months past, addressed to Mr. Thomas Eddy of this city. Since it was written, the account of the Adventures of Capt. Judah Paddock, written by that gentleman himself, has been published; and the two works, that of Riley and of Paddock, are now identified, as they have been published together, are bound together, and their merits must stand or fall together. A few days past a friend put into my hand a copy of each; Riley's work I had read before, and as the foregoing will show, I give to the author my full credence. Paddock's Narrative was entirely new, and it gave me the more satisfaction, because on every subject touched by the two writers, one confirms the veracity of the other. This will appear from a comparison of leading facts laid down in the two narrations. wrecks. the eye of reason and science. From this extraordinary history it will be seen that in the desert of Africa, the FOULAH's, or a humane society of Mahometans have associated themselves together, amid barbarism and superstition, to soften the pains of the captured slave. To our shame and honour, we have slaves and Foulahs ¿ at the moment that this article is writing, we have wretches prowling over our land to entrap the infant of the black; but we also have our Foulahs-we have men whose days are spent in giving comfort to the unfortunate, and in shielding the oppressed. I cannot but recommend, and that with emphasis, this part of Paddock's Narrative to the attention of my countrymen. 1st. The cause of the respective ship- I am convinced that it contains some facts respecting the human character that can never be too well understood. Facts that may be of the greatest utility in the fu 2d. Capture by the natives of the country. 3d. Character of those natives, and their ture improvement of our species, and in manners and customs. future reasoning upon human character. 4th. Final destination of the respective shipwrecked parties. In all these respects an accordance exists between the two works, which, to all candid minds, will carry more than mere assent to the fidelity of each narrator. Respect for the men will add infinitely to the interest due to their sufferings. I will not swell an already long article by extracts, but will refer to the pages of each, Riley's and Paddock's narrative, where the latter fortifies the correctness of the former in the most important points, and particularly that of the indraught or current, which produced the unfortunate wreck of both vessels, the Oswego and the Commerce; and the law of nations practised upon the African coast, of enslaving all strangers who are thrown upon their shores, and appropriating the property contained in wrecked vessels to their own use. Riley's Narrative, page 26, Paddock's, page 19; Riley, page 30, Paddock, page 45; and I cannot but recommend to very serious attention, Paddock, page 106. The sequel will exhibit, perhaps the most extraordinary picture of human character that ever met It would be useless to point out every coincidence between these two authors; most of those who will read this article, will also read, or have already read, both Riley's and Paddock's narrations. In point of composition there is a marked difference; Riley's work derives an additional charm from the pleasing style of his narrative; we cannot doubt the authenticity of his facts. The unparalleled sufferings of himself and his men, and the signal fortitude with which those sufferings were withstood; the generous magnanimity of Mr. Willshire and Mr. Sprague; their restoration to their homes and their kindred; and the new and wonderful views of human nature opened to the civilized world by the history of their adventures, form together one of those pictures which will for ages continue to enchant and interest the feelings of mankind. A striking simplicity runs through the whole of Paddock's account; the incidents are touchingly related, without the aid of ornamental language. The facts are at once assented to; the mind does not a moment hesitate to give credence to what is related in a manner so natural and unaffected. We travel with those wanderers along the sands and rocks of Africa, and suffer with them; when bartered as slaves amongst the most brutal of the human race, we burn at their insults, and share their hunger and thirst; our tears are mingled with theirs, and with them we turn our swimming eyes toward our native country, and raise our bursting hearts to heaven for protection and deliverance. The two works are now bound together, and form a repast for the best feelings of human nature; feelings that must be strongly excited when it is known that ART. 7. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. The following overture toward an agri- I have been applied to here for information respecting the culture of potatoes, and the manner, if any there be, of making them into bread in the United States. At the same time inquiry was also made of me, respecting the best modes of making bread of indian corn meal. Unfortunately it is out of my power to give satisfactory answers to these interesting queries; and knowing that the benevolent philanthropy of your disposition is equalled only by your great and general information, I determined to take the liberty of soliciting for Mr. James Ombrosi, of this city, your correspondence upon these or similar questions. Mr. Ombrosi is a gentleman of great respectability, who has resided several years in the United States; he is employed in the administration of this government, and from his connexion with the most eminent persons here, he is able to give you in return satisfactory answers to any thing relating to the arts and sciences in Italy, which you may choose to ask of him. I trust, Sir, that you will pardon this intrusion in favour of its motive; and I beg you to accept the assurance of respectful consideration with which I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, WILLIAM SHALER. then possessed great zeal for collecting instruction, and making constant experiments in the botanical garden established in the time of Cosmo I. The members, however, well knew that the study of sim ples, herbs, and plants would be promoted by the productions of foreign countries, and intercourse with societies abroad; nevertheless this correspondence has languished of late. I cannot forbear to remark that the prosperity of the United States appears exceedingly propitious to their wishes; and that a proper correspondent in your land, would be of singufar benefit to Italy. Any intelligence and parcels with which I shall be honoured, may be addressed to Thomas Appleton, Esq. American Consul at Leghorn, who will forward them to me. I shall have the pleasure of replying through the same channel, and of repaying you by every fact and article which promises advantage to the United States.. We should particularly rejoice on receiving botanical notices, relative to the science of vegetables, and their employment in medicine and economy. With great esteem and respect, I have the honour to be your most humble and devoted servant, your opinion on this subject, which is of much importance to the people of Alaba ma, and, in fact, to the nation at large. With high considerations of respect and esteem, I remain, Sir, your obedient sérvant, CHAS. G. HAINES. New-York, December 12, 1818. DEAR SIR, It is not without some degree of contrition I acknowledge yours of the 10th ult. but the pressure of preparing my NorthWestern Tour for the press, must plead my excuse. You inform me that some gentlemen from the Alabama territory have applied to you for the seed of the date palm, with an intention to propagate that fruit in that section of the country. You de sire my opinion of the probability of success in such an undertaking, which opinion will be frankly given, though it may not possess the value you are so kind as to ascribe to it. The fourth chapter of my Emigrant's Guide is appropriated to discuss the subject, of the useful vegetables that are now cultivated in Alabama, Louisiana, and the southern part of the Mississippi state; as also those plants that I then, when JAMES OMBROSI. writing that work, considered as capable of being introduced into those countries with advantage to the inhabitants. In the latter class, I enumerated the vine, olive, white mulberry, and a species of sesamum, called oriental bhené. I did not mention either the coffee or date, because I did not consider them as capable of being introduced into general culture in any part of the continent of North-America above N. lat. 29o. New-York, Nov. 10, 1818. William Darby, Esq. DEAR SIR, Í have recently received an application from a gentleman residing in the Alabama Territory, to procure a quantity of date seed; it being his intention to attempt the cultivation of the date-bearing palm in that section of the Union. To me, some doubt occurs whether the winter frosts incident to that territory will not prove fatal to his enterprising design. Knowing your extensive geographical attainments, and presuming you to be well acquainted with the climate and all its vicissitudes, throughout the whole southern country, I have taken the liberty to trespass upon your kindness, and solicit VOL. IV. No. III. 3. The summer life, or, more expli citly, the time between the flower and ripe fruit... 4. The degree of cold at which the tree perishes. Mobile and Mississippi rivers; the same remark applies to Sicily, Calabria, Candia, and Cyprus. When Dr. S. L. Mitchill's letter upon the date-tree was published, I sought in vain to find, in botanical writers, the smallest information respecting the summer life, the habitudes, or possible transThe long These rules, if carefully applied, will obviate the danger of abortive experiment, by determining the practicability or impracticability of any attempt to na-portation of the date-tree. turalize a plant. I have no doubt but that a fair vegetable comparison, founded upon the foregoing principles, would blast, all reasonable hope of ever introducing the date palm upon either the Alabama or Mississippi rivers. I will now present you with the data upon which my convictions were formed and have been perpetuated. If either the cotton, sugar cane, indigo plant, tobacco, or maize were perennial plants, they could not exist in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama territory. I have known all those vegetables destroyed by frost, repeatedly, as low as latitude 29° 30', or half a degree south of the city of New-Orleans. The sweet Seville orange-tree is indeed culti vated in the neighbourhood of New-Orleans, but liable also at that place to be destroyed by frost. The fig of Palestine has been introduced into Louisiana and the adjacent countries, and grows well as high as N. lat. 33°. The latter tree protrudes its leaves on the lower part of the Mississippi, in the latter part of March; the fruit becomes plentiful in the New-Orleans market in the latter end of June. The date palin is a perennial plant, easily destructible by frost, and found only in countries where the winters are extremely mild. Its fruit forms a part of human subsistence in the south of Asia, and in some parts of the north of Africa. It is not cultivated in Spain, the south of Italy, Sicily, or the Greek islands, the only parts of Europe where its existence throughout the year could be supposed possible. Some parts of Andaluzia, Mur, cia, Valencia, and Grenada, have milder and more uniform winters than are experienced upon the countries watered by the 7 Latin name, its being a palm, the number of pistils and stamens, and other things of equal futility, I found from the Systema Naturae, and a number of other collec tions of hard names. From Miller's ponderous Gardner's Dictionary, I found the mode of cultivating this tree in a hothouse near London. I never before had so much reason to feel the utter uselessness of the mere science of botany. The only valuable information I found upon the subject was from a practical man, who travelled to see matters as they are in nature, and to relate the fruit of his observations in simple terms. Thomas Shaw, D. D. travelled in Palestine, the Levant, and Barbary, about 1722: I have taken the annexed extracts from his work, a copy of which is in the NewYork Library. You will particularly remark the ob servations of Dr. Shaw respecting the barley and wheat, in places where he expressly declares the cold is too severe to admit the useful culture of the datetree. Barley, in Louisiana and Alabama, would be scarce in full stalk, much less turned yellow, in April. I have known young cotton killed at Opelousas, N. lat. 30° 30', after the middle of April, and have also, at the same place, (January, 1812,) seen snow 11 inches deep: this was the same snow-storm mentioned by Mr. Bradbury in his travels, who was then de scending the Mississippi near the Lafourche, N. lat. 30° 9'. There is a small difference of temperature between Louisiana and Alabama, in favour of the latter, but not sufficient to balance a degree of latitude. Much the greatest part of the Alabama. territory, and all the Alabama river, lies above N. lat. 31, or directly east of |
