of the Jews, Ormuzd of the Aryans, and Jesus Christ of the Christians, each was their Abraxas.

These Gnostics became a powerful sect, and sent down their influence to the Middle Ages in the Christian church. They had incorporated with their spiritual worship of Christ many of the ancient rites, and among them feasts at funerals, when the assistants were furnished with wine and each with a small spoon to sip it with. The early Gnostics wore amulets or charms against evil. These were usually gems of an eliptical shape, and bearing on one side devices that were always symbols of the Sun or its operations, and on the other, inscriptions. To the consideration of these Gnostic amulets, Montfaucon devotes a whole book of his "Antiquity Explained," and gives engravings of scores of the hundreds which are preserved in European cabinets. Among the devices the Ape was a common one, usually seen with its hands elevated, in an attitude of devotion.

ABRAXAS.

The little engraving is a PTA copy of one of these the size Σεξ24 of the original from Montfaucon. May not a similar device have been engraven as a charm upon the spoons given to the assistants at Gnostic funerals? and if so may not that custom, like many others, have come down to near our time through our English or German ancestors from the Middle Ages? In the consideration of the foregoing facts, is there not a hint of the origin of the "Monkey Spoon" given at funerals? We know that a similar custom prevailed at christenings.

It was anciently a custom in England, that came down from the christian AngloSaxons, for sponsors at baptisms to give to the child gilt spoons. These were called "Apostle Spoons," because figures of the Apostles were carved on the handles. Opulent sponsors gave twelve spoons, the number of the Apostles. Those in middling circumstances gave four, and the

poorer sort gave one, on which, sometimes, was engraved the figure of some other saint, in honor of whom the child was named. It is in allusion to this custom that Shakespeare makes King Henry say to Cranmer, who professes to be unworthy of being sponsor to the young princess, "Come, come, my Lord, you'd spare your spoons. Ben Johnson in his " • Bartholomew Fair" alludes to the custom: "And all this for the hope of a couple of Apostle spoons and a cup to eat caudle in.'

In Middleton's comedy of "A Chaste Maid of Cheapside," occurs this dialogue: "Second Gossip,-What has he given her? what is it, Gossip?"'

"Third Gossip,-A faire high-standing Cup and two great 'Postle Spoons one of them gilt."

In his comedy of "The Wits" (1639) Sir William Davenant makes one of the characters say:

WILLIAM TRENT.-The following may be of interest to the inquirers about Major Wm. Trent. See RECORD, pages 29 and 173. It is endorsed by him, "The Commissioners' instructions to use when I was going to the Twightwees."

Logs-town, June yo 14th, 1752. TO CAPTAIN WILLIAM TRENT.

S'-We desire you to proceed to the Pitts town with Expedition and there to deliver to the Piankishaw king an Hat Cloak and Vest, a shirt and stockings for his own use, and the other part of his Majesties' present to be divided as the said king and his chief men shall think fit, and that you will endeavor to promote his interest there. JOSHUA FRY

LUNSFORD LOMAS JAMES PATTON.

These signers were members of the House of Burgesses of Virginia. Col. Fry, in whose handwriting these instructions are, was Washington's immediate superior in the expedition to the Ohio.

Major Trent's papers, or many of them passed into the possession of Barnard and

"ONE OF THE Oldest InHABITANTS.". We hear from New-Market, in the province of New Hampshire, that on Monday Night the 12th Instant, died there, Mr. Perkins, who could not certainly tell his own Age, but this he has often said, That he was fourteen Years old when he came into this Country: and that then there were but two or three Houses in Boston: So that we must suppose him to be 114, or perhaps 116 Years old when he died. The Boston Weekly News Letter, June 29, 1732.

CROWN POINT.-We have an account from Albany, dated the 25th of last Month, that the French of Canada, with about 80 Men, have built a Fort, and enclos'd it with Stockadoes, at the Crown Point, on the South side of Corlear's Lake near the Carrying Place above Saratogo (about three days Journey from Albany) and have also built a House of Forty Feet and are busy to erect two more there. The persons who brought this Account do add, That they were credibly inform'd in Canada, that the French design to enclose the said Fort and Buildings with a Stonewall next Spring, and at the same time to send up two Hundred Men to Tiederondequat, on the South side of Caderaque Lake, above Oswego, near the Sinnecka

2 M. Du S:mitière a French gentleman who wrote and spoke English readily. Several volumes of curious MSS, and printed papers of his collection are in the Philadelphia City Library. There is a notice of him in Watons Annals, p. 5398. The duty of superintending the translating, printing, publishing and dispersing" the address was devolved by Congress on the delegates from Pennsylvania.-Journal 1 p 45.

I

3 Charles Thompson Secretary of the Congress. The words within the parenthesis are difficult to read in the original, but are thought to be correctly deciphered, although the meaning of the item is not known.

4 The Directors of the Phila. Library Company under date of August 31, 1774, ordered that the librarian furnish the gentlemen who are to meet in Congress, with the use of such books as they may have occasion for, during their sitting, taking a receipt for them." Journal I p. 8

5 "T. M." (Timothy Matlock) named as one of the clerks. is frequently mentioned by Watson as his authority for much valuable information of the olden time, as he lived to be nearly one hundred years old.

6 The ancient Indian name of Lake Ontario. The French built a fort of that name, near the present city of Kingston at the north-east end of Lake Ontario, at an early period. So early as 1689, Jacob Liesler then styling himself "Lieutenantgovernor and Commander-in-Chief" of New York, issued a warrant authorising Nicholas Rust to take not exceeding 25 men "to go forth wth unto or ware ye sd ffort named Kadarockquajoynd with ye K. M. Indians an allegance with this or Crown as to your wisdom shall seem mete, and do assault attaque and utterly destroy ye sd ffort and rase it down to ye ground."

Country, in order to stop the English Trading with the Indians. N. B. It is apprehended, that if these encroachments of the French are not prevented, they may prove of the last Consequence to this and the rest of his Majesty's adjacent

Colonies here in America.-The N. Y. Gazette, Oct. 4, 1731.

I send you the above extracts from old Newspapers before me, believing they will be of interest to the readers of the RECORD. W. K.

Luther Chapin has presented his petition to Congress for a remuneration of his loss sustained in the capture by the British of his vessel called the Cayahoga packet, while transporting the sick and hospital stores of the North Western Army under your command from Miami River to Detroit, which has been referred to the committee on claims. He alledges in substance in his petition that you hired the packet for the purpose above mentioned at and for the price of fifty Dollars without any stipulation in case of capture, farther than that he remarked there might be danger of his being detained at Malden," to which you replied "there would be no danger or that you would risque it" or words to that effect. It is a rule with the Committee that if the officer is alive who employs the

1 Elisha Whittlesey was born in Conn. Oct. 19, 1783. When the war of 1812 broke out he was appointed aid to Gen. Elijah Wadsworth, who was active in defending the frontier. Afterwards he was appointed brigade major in Gen. Simon Perkins' corps and was with him during the remainder of the campaign in Northern Ohio in 1812-13 After the war he resumed his profession of the law. Was in the Ohio Legislature from 1820 to 1822, when he was sent to Congress, where he served fourteen consecutive years, during all which time he was a member of the Committee on claims, half the time its chairman, "and was never absent, excepting on public business, but for one day, for which, in the settlement of his accounts, he deducted the sum of eight dollars-a day's salary. He was auditor of the Post-office Department from 1841 to 1843, Comptroller of the Treasury under Presidents Taylor, Pierce, Buchanan and Lincoln, and faithfully discharged the duties of his office until a few days before his death, which occurred Jan. 7, 1863, in his 80th year.

2 Malden was a fort in Amherstburg, Upper Canada, on the Detroit River, a short distance from Lake Erie, and by which vessels passed on their way to Detroit.

vessel his testimony is necessary to show the nature and extent of the contract. As Mr. Chapin was ignorant of this principle, (as I presume) when he prepared his testimony, and as his residence is too remote to communicate speedily with him, I have taken the liberty of addressing you directly and solicit of you in behalf of Mr. Chapin, to make out and forward to me your deposition on this subject. I will forward to you by mail or by your Representative as you shall direct any expenses you may incur, and look to him for a remuneration. A Certificate from the Clerk of the Court that the Magistrate before whom the deposition is taken acts in that capacity is requisite. Your early compliance will much oblige,

tant.

Your humble serv't.

Elisher Whitlery

GEN. WILLIAM HULL.3

8 William Hull, to whom this letter was addressed, at Newton, Massachusetts, was commissioned Brig. Gen. and took command of the Ohio volunteers May 25, 1812. June 1, he commenced his march through the wilderness from near Dayton, Ohio, to Detroit more than two hundred miles disOn the way "so wearied and worn" says Lossing's Field-Book of the War of 1812, "were Hull's beasts of burden when he reached navigable waters connecting with his destination that he resolved to relieve them as much as possible. He accordingly dispatched, from the foot of the Rapids, the schooner Cuyahoga for Detroit with his own baggage and that of most of his officers; also all of the hospital stores, intrenching tools, and a trunk containing his commission, instructions, &c. Hull was fearful that the British commander at Malden had heard of the declaration of war, and in a short time his apprehensions were justified by events, for he learned on the morning after his arrival at Frenchtown, that the Cuyahoga had been captured while sailing past Malden, unconscious of danger, at 10 o'clock on the morning of the 2d, she was brought to by a gun from the shore. The British armed vessel Hunter went alongside of her, and schooner and cargo became a prize. The troops and crew were made prisoners of war.