of about 14 miles, is finished, with the exception of about two and a half miles. The culverts, waste weirs, and dams, are contracted for and are progressing; and but little doubt remains, that should the next season be ordinarily favourable, the canal between the lake and the Hudson will be finished, in all its parts, by the first of November next.

MARYLAND.

On the 4th of January, two negro men, on the charge of having robbed the mail, were committed to the jail of Baltimore county. The circumstances are as follow:The careless driver, it appears, lost the mail bag out of the stage, which was found by the two negro men above mentioned. It appears doubtful whether they knew what it was when they found it, as they appear, we are told, to be very ignorant slaves. They contrived, however, to make their way into it by the aid of a knife, and finding it contained letters, they contrived to open these also, took from them about $2,800 in bank bills, and then burnt the letters and the mail bag. We understand about $2,000 of the money has been recovered: what has become of the remainder is not yet known.

It appears that the eastern section of the United States' turnpike road, extending from Cumberland, in Maryland, to Union-Town, in Pennsylvania, upwards of sixty-one miles, cost, including every expenditure, less than $595,000, being per mile $9,700 only-and in a report made on the subject, it is stated that the western section, or last thirty-six miles of the same road, cost $616,000 upwards of $17,000 per mile-making a difference of $7,300 in the mile.

GEORGIA.

aggregate value is estimated at $14,183,113 and 19 cents. Articles as follows: 25,828,273 lbs. upland cotton, to foreign ports, at 31 to 33 cents per lb. 3,246,057 lbs. ditto, coastwise. 2,141,121 lbs. sea-island cotton, to foreign ports, at 53 to 70 cents. 14,619 tierces rice, to foreign ports, at $35 to $43.

1,662 tierces rice, coastwise.

3,084 hhds. tobacco, foreign ports, at $100 to $110.

951 do. coastwise.

75,606 dolls. worth lumber, foreign ports. 148,037 do. all other articles, do.

LOUISIANA.

Account of tobacco and cotton exported from New-Orleans since the 1st of January to the end of September, 1818. Tobacco.

Hamburg Bremen Amsterdam Rotterdam Copenhagen Middleburg Stockholm Gottenburg Gibraltar

France, since the 1st November, 1817

Coastwise

hhds.

1,123

1,998

2,544

626

471

200

249

172

4,061

2,774

20,126

8,000

28,126 400

Stock on hand

Liverpool Clyde Portsmouth Havre Bordeaux Nantz

Coastwise

MISSISSIPPI.

Advices from Fort Osage, inform us that the expedition had arrived at that place without accident, and would proceed one

or two hundred miles further up the Missouri this winter. Fort Osage is three hundred miles by water above the mouth of the Missouri, and is the present limit of our population to the west. The safety with which the expedition, consisting of ten boats, has ascended this stream, is an evidence that the danger of navigating that river is more imaginary than real. Several boats, carrying provisions to the Yellow Stone, have passed

St. Louis within a few weeks past; one of which has been lost in the Missouri, between St. Charles and Belle Fontaine.

-KENTUCKY.

The dispute between General Adair and General Jackson, it is said, has been satisfactorily accommodated, through the friendly interference of the venerable Governor Shelby, of Kentucky.

(From the London Literary Gazette.)

HERMIT IN LONDON, Or Sketches of Fashionable Manners. No. IIk

THE

THE BLUNDERER.

HERE cannot be a better man than Sir Michael Marall. No one more obliging; nothing is kinder than his heart; yet no one on earth commits more unlucky mistakes in company. From these, he is reckoned a mere scatter-brain, a marplot, a quiz, and is often avoided. From these, he has got himself into very serious scrapes, and has lost his very best friends. Finally, from these unwilling errors, he, who of all men in the world, wishes most to please and to do good, scarcely ever opens his mouth without committing a blunder,-without giving offence.

Sir Michael is now fifty years of age; yet is he as thoughtless as when first I knew him, which is thirty years ago. As a proof of the confusion of his brain, he forgets daily to wind up his watch, sets it wrong afterwards, and is never in time any where. In his commonest concerns he is always under some misapprehension-some mistake; and in his conversation, he is sure to say or to do something out of time or out of place. If he meet a widower, he will invariably inquire after his wife. If he meet a lady who is divorced, he will (forgetting the circumstance) beg his respects to her husband. He not unfrequently asks unmarried ladies after their children; and people at variance, after their friend so and so. The many who do not know and pity this absence, or rather this confusion of his, consider that he either intends to hoax them, or to insult them. The few who are acquainted with his infirmity, fear to ask him to their house, lest he say or do something offensive to their company.

I remember one day when he made an appointment with me to ride together to see a cottage on the banks of the Thames: we waited a considerable time; at last he rung the bell, and asked why the groom did not bring his horses to the door? when, all VOL. IV. No. iv.

39

of a sudden, he recollected that he had lent them to a friend. Upon another occasion, he kept dinner waiting two hours at a friend's house, and upon flying in a passion at his coachman's neglect, he was informed that he had sent his carriage to bring home his little nephews from school. He lost an aunt's favour by outbidding her at a sale of china, which he did, thinking that she had an interest in keeping up the price of the article; and a rich cousin scratched him out of her will for speaking against Methodism, he having entirely forgot her religious persuasion.

But of all the unfortunate days of blunders that ever occurred, that was the chief on which I met him at dinner at the Marchioness'. Being in general two hours too late, and resolving to make amends for his usual failures, and never having dined at the Marquis's before, he arrived two hours before he was expected. The score of servants in the hall stared at him on his arrival, and then looked at each other-as much as to say, "Is he mad? what a queer genius this Sir Michael must be !" But the groom of the chambers, with his accustomed officious grin and low bow, said, mechanically, "My Lord will be down in ten minutes," and then placed his chair, bowed, and handed him a newspaper. He had time to spell every word of it. After which he took up a novel and went through it.

At length a powdered servant opened the folding-doors, and in walked the Marchioness. Sir Michael had never seen her. before; but he was acquainted with her sister Lady Barbara, to whom the resemblance was striking. He rose up, and made his best bow; whilst the Marchioness smiled on him with her usual dignity and mildness. Cheered by this into self-confidence, he thus began: 'I need not (bowing a second time) ask your Ladyship to whom I have the honour of speaking, seeing so strong a resemblance betwixt your daughter and yourself.' "Daughter, Sir, I have none; you must mistake." Probably-Madam-I may; I ask your Ladyship's pardon.'

At this moment her elder sister, Lady Barbara, entered the room. That, that, that lady, Madam, is the person I meant; I

took her for your Ladyship's daughter. Lady Barbara, your most obedient! delighted to see you look so well: indeed the likeness' (Marchioness)" is that of a younger to an elder sister: my sister Barbara is three years older than myself (drily); but (with a smile of contempt) there is certainly a strong family likeness." Oh! yes, beautiful! vastly like indeed! a strong very strong family likeness, particularly about the eyes' (Lady Barbara squints dreadfully.) Here ensued a loud laugh of the two ladies. (Marchioness) "Do you think so, Sir Michael?" (Sir Michael perceiving the obliquity of the sister's eye) No, my lady, not at all, not a bit!' (Marchioness) "I am quite mortified to think how long you have been kept waiting. My Lord is not yet come from the House; and I am much later than usual myself, having been detained at Philips and Robins's." I understand your Ladyship: yes, the two money lending attorneys; I know them well; hard dogs.' "Not at all, Sir Michael, I mean the auctioneers." 'Yes, yes, (all confusion) the auctioneers I mean.'

(Marchioness) "I see that you have taken up that scurrilous novel, what think you of it?"Beautiful! full of wit! how it cuts up the gouty alderman, pocketing the poor's rates! and the fat, gambling Marchioness' (the latter was herself.) (Lady Barbara, wishing to relieve him) "Hem! did you look at those trifles in verse? They are very trifles, but written merely at leisure hours, mere bagatelles composed on the spur of the occasion. What think you of them?" Trifles, trifles indeed; mere bagatelles, as your Ladyship justly observes; quite below par; childish, very childish indeed; a catchpenny, no doubt.' Lady Barbara-"Childish, as you say; very much below par; but no catchpenny, Sir; they are my composition, and were never sold, but printed for a few friends, more indulgent and partial than Sir Michael Marall,"-(the_knight in an agony) Pardon me, my Lady; my ho

nour'

(The Marquis entered) "My dear Baronet, how are you? Why, you are come in time to-day. (Turning to the Marchioness) This is my very oldest friend." Her lady ship gave a contemptuous look, which said, Je vous en fais mon compliment.

The company now began to arrive briskly; carriages chased carriages down the street; and the thunder of the street-door was like a feu de joie. The Marquis now drew his friend aside, and said, "Michael, I am heartily glad to see you here. It is now three years since I met you at Newmarket. I have been to Naples and to Vienna since, and have got married. I am sorry that I had not an earlier opportunity of introducing you to the Marchioness; but you will find her at all times happy to see you." Sir Michael. No doubt; I read it in her countenance. A very sweet woman! a most interesting person! and I perceive that

she is as women wish to be who love their lords. Ha, ha, ha! yes, pretty far gone; there's no fear of the title's being extinct; no, no; I hope soon to have the pleasure of wishing you joy on the change of her ladyship's shape; very large indeed, but all in very good time.'-Marquis. "Sir Michael, I hope that her ladyship's change of shape will not be so sudden as you expect; else must ill health be the cause. She is, I confess, rather corpulent, but is not so in the way which you imagine." Here he turned from him, and left him overwhelmed with shame-they had been married only three months.

Now entered Colonel O'Fagan, who, after making his obeisance all round, attacked the Baronet. "Sir Michael, you played me a pretty trick to-day; you promised to bring me here in your carriage, knowing as you do that one of my horses is lame; and here you are before me, after keeping me waiting an hour and a half.”— My dear Colonel, I ask ten thousand pardons; but it is my coachman's fault; be never put me in mind of it as I bid him, for my memory is most treacherous; 'tis entirely his fault; but he is an Irishman, and one must pardon his bulls and blunders sometimes; they belong to his country, and he cannot help them.-The Colonel, angrily, "Sir Michael, you are very polite; but here stands an Irishman before you, (born in London to be sure,) who never made a bull in his life, nor disappointed his friend." The poor Baronet was struck dumb, and sat silent until dinner was announced.

Defeat and diffidence took such possession of him at table, that he scarcely dared to open his mouth. At last the Marquis, seeing his consternation, endeavoured to draw him out, by saying, " Sir Michael, did you observe the sale of our old school-fellow's estate! it fetched eighty thousand pounds! should you have thought it worth as much?" By no means, my dear Lord; and I was as much surprised to see the crim. con. business of Lady-(he was stopped by a look of the Marquis's)-I mean the death of old Lady-(another frown)-the marriage of Captain Bracetight to a mechanic's daughter. The crim. con. lady, whose publicity had been revived after lying dormant twelve months, sat opposite to him; the old lady's daughter, in deep mourning, was on his right-hand; and Captain Bracetight's brother was near the foot of the table! "Each looked on the other, none the silence broke."

Sir Michael blushed and stammered, coughed, called for water, and hesitated. His next neighbour on the left addressed him; and he stuttered so in reply, that the other, who had an impediment in his speech, almost suspected that he was turning him into ridicule.

At the desert, four beautiful children were ushered in, walking by files in rather

a stage-effect way. They were the Marquis's nephews and nieces. His brother and sister were at table, and the children had heen sent for as a recreation to them. Every one was eager to praise them, to extol their beauty, to enumerate their good qualities, &c. Sir Michael, after priming himself with a glass of hermitage "to bear his courage up," thought that he would be complimentary too: What lovely children' exclaim ed he, fixing his eyes at the same time on their father, who is remarkably plain. What lovely creatures!' repeated he, laying much emphasis on the word lovely. Are all these children yours?' "So her Ladyship says," replied the husband; and there was nothing but blushes, smiles, surprise, and confusion round the table.

His last blunder was respecting Walter Scott. Being asked by a lady what he thought of that excellent poet, whom he had seen in his tour through Scotland, he replied, "Charming, charming; but 'tis a pity he is so lame." How do you mean? said Mrs. Freethink, a blue-stocking lady. Is it his poetry (continued she) or his person, to which you allude? "His person (here he recollected the lameness of the Marquis's brother! so, trying to recover himself, he recalled his words)" not in his person, Madam, but in his poetry”—(reflecting on the beauty of his lines, and the public opinion, he recovered himself again by) “I—I—mean in both-in neither-upon my soul, I beg your pardon-I do not know what I mean." Here a general laugh could no longer be controlled, and he was laughed at by all present. He retired early; took French leave; went home; passed a sleep less night; and never returned to Doricourt House. The Marchioness has given orders to her German porter to say to the Baronet always, "Madame n'est pas visible;" and the whole family has dropped him.

The poor Baronet will at last be obliged to live the life of a recluse, as he will not be able to keep an acquaintance in the town; or perhaps he may end by some very serious consequences attending these habitual mistakes, for these unmeant insults are never forgiven, and, so weak are we, that many who can generously pass over and forget an injury, can never pardon the being degraded, or rendered ridiculous, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally-in joke, or in earnest

THE HERMIT IN LONDON.

SUPERSTITIONS, APPARITIONS, &c. What I have already said to you of Gustavus III, has probably excited many a smile at the weakness of the human mind. But the most singular is still to come! There was, at Stockholm, a Finnlander, named Biærnramm, who had an office in the Chancery, where he had to translate the Swedish ordinances into the Finnland language; a

plain, modest man, who had nothing of the charlatan about him. Without any know ledge of chemistry and physics, he possessed one of the most singular talents that can be imagined. He opened fast-locked doors without any key or any smith's tool. He only put into the key-hole a pointed piece of wood, made the sign of the cross over it, spoke some words, and, in an instant the door sprung open! Highly credible, and by no means credulous persons, have assured me themselves, that they have been eye-witnesses of this. Great church doors, which had just been strongly fastened, flew open with much force as soon as he made use of his charm. The eye-witness only observed that B. had a brown polished stone in his hand, of an unknown composition.

The king heard a great deal of this very singular man, who, far from seeking to deceive, endeavoured to avoid celebrity as much as he could; lived in peaceful retirement, and, like a new Proteus, gave proofs of his talents only when compelled. Gus tavas wished to be acquainted with him, and intimated that he would send f. him, to convince himself of the truth or falsehood of the wonderful powers attributed to him, but informed him, at the same time, that he, (the king,) to guard himself against deception, would not acquaint him beforehand of the particular day or hour: he, however, let him know, (which might as well have been omitted but relata refero!) that an old ruinous church, in the neighbourhood of Gripsholm Castle, where, at that time, the court resided, was fixed on for the scene of this operation. From this moment strict watch was of course kept, that nobody should enter the church, in which divine worship had long ceased to be performed.

In the middle of the night one of the king's courtiers suddenly came to Biarnramm's door. B. is in bed. He must get up, and quickly dress himself, under the strictest watch of the king's messenger, get with him into the carriage; and they immediately drove off. They arrive early in the morning at Gripsholm. The king and five of his confidential attendants, and Bicernramm, go to the appointed church. B. said beforehand, that he would make a figure appear, which they should see one after another. The figure would appear to all of them with the same features, but to each in a different attitude. He had neither any instrument, (or at least any visible one,) nor any chemical ingredient. After repeating several unintelligible words, he takes the persons present, one after another, by the hand, and brings them into a corner of the church, and what do they see now? a human form standing upright and motionless, but with the eyes open, and every appearance of life. The figure seemed to be a youth of about 15 or 16 years of age, covered in a white garment, something similar to a priest's mantle. One of the specta