per, giving an account of the effects of the fame ftorm in thofe parts, I found the beginning of the eclipfe had been well obferved there, though Bofton lies N. E. of Philadelphia about 400 miles. This puzzled me, becaufe the form began with us fo foon as to prevent any obfervation, and being a N. E. ftorm, I imagined it must have begun rather fooner in places farther to the north-eastward than it did at Philadelphia. I therefore mentioned it in a letter to my brother, who lived at Bofton; and he informed me the ftorm did not begin with them till near eleven o'clock, fo that they had a good obfervation of the eclipfe: and upon comparing all the other accounts I received from the feveral colonies, of the time of the beginning of the fame ftorm, and fince that of other ftorms of the fame kind, I found the beginning to be always later the farther north-eastward. I have not my notes with me here in England, and cannot, from memory, fay the proportion of time to diftance, but I think it is about an hour to every hundred miles.

From thence I formed an idea of the cause of these ftorms, which I would explain by a familiar inftance or two. Suppofe a long canal of wa

rifes; the air next the chimney flows in to fupply its place, moving towards the chimney; and, in confequence, the reft of the air fucceffively, quite back to the door. Thus to produce our north-east storms, I fuppofe fome great heat and rarefaction of the air in or about the gulph of Mexico; the air thence rifing, has its place fupplied by the next more northern, cooler, and therefore denfer and heavier, air; that, being in motion, is followed by the next more northern air, &c. &c. in a fucceffive current, to which current our coast and inland ridge of mountains give the direction of north-east, as they lie N. E. and S. W.

This I offer only as an hypothefis to account for this particular fact; and perhaps, on farther examination, a better and truer may be found. I do not fuppofe all forms generated in the fame manner. Our northweft thunder gufts in America, I know are not; but of them I have written my opinion fully in a paper which you have seen. I am, &c.

B. F.

Defcription of a water-spout.

SPOUT is a small ragged

water is quite at reft till the gate is open; then it begins to move out through the gate; the water next the gate is firft in motion, and moves towards the gate; the water next to that firft water moves next, and fo on fucceffively, till the water at the head of the canal is in motion, which is laft of all. In this cafe all the water moves indeed towards the gate, but the fucceffive times of beginning motion are the contrary way, viz. from the gate backwards to the head of the canal. Again, fuppofe the air in a chamber at reft, no current through the room till you make a fire in the chimney. Immediately the air in the chimney being rarefied by the fire,

ing down, about a yard feemingly, from the blackeft part thereof. Commonly it hangs down floping from thence, or fometimes appearing with a fmall bending, or elbow, in the middle. I never faw any hang perpendicularly down. It is fmall at the lower end, feeming no bigger than one's arm, but ftill fuller towards the cloud from whence it proceeds.

When the furface of the fea begins to work, you fhall fee the water, for about one hundred paces in circumference, foam and move gently round, till the whirling motion increases; and then it flies upwards in a pillar, about one hundred paces in compafs, at the bottom, but

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dually leffening upwards, to the fmallnefs of the fpout itself, through which the rifing fea-water feems to be conveyed into the clouds. This visibly appears by the clouds increafing in bulk and blacknefs. Then you fhall presently fee the cloud drive along, though before it seemed to be without any motion-the spout alfo keeping the fame courfe with the cloud, and still fucking up the water as it goes along, and they make a wind as they go. Thus it continues for half an hour, more or less, until the fucking is spent, and then breaking off, all the water which was below the spout, or pendulous piece of cloud, falls down again into the fea, making a great noife with its falling and clathing motion in the fea.

It is very dangerous for a fhip to be under a fpout when it breaks; therefore, we always endeavour to fhun it, by keeping at a distance, if poffibly we can. But for want of wind, to carry us away, we are often in great fear and danger; for it is ufually calm, when spouts are at work, excepting only just where they are. Therefore men at fea, when they fee a fpout coming, and know not how to avoid it, do fometimes fire shot out of their great guns into it, to give it air or vent, that fo it may break, but I did never hear that it proved to be of any benefit.

And now we are on this fubject, I think it not amifs to give you an account of an accident that happened to a fhip, once on the coast of Guinea, fome time in or about the year 1764. One capt. Records, of London, bound for the coaft of Guinea, in a fhip of three hundred tons, and fixteen guns, called the Bleffing, when he came into latitude feven or eight degrees north, faw feveral fpouts, one of which came directly towards the ship, and he having no wind to get out of the spout, made ready to receive it, by furling the fails. It came on very fwift, and broke a little before it

reached the hip, making a great noife, and raifing the fea round it, as if a great houfe, or fome fuch thing had been caft into the fea. The fury of the wind ftill lafted, and took the fhip on the starboard-bow with fuch violence, that it fnapt off the bow-fprit and foremast both at once, and blew the fhip all along, ready to overfet it; but the fhip did prefently right again, and the wind whirling round, took the fhip a fecond time, with the like fury as before, but on the contrary fide, and was again like to overfet her the other way: the mizen-mast felt the fury of this fecond blaft, and was fnapt fhort off, as the fore-maft and bowfprit had been before. The mainmaft and main-top-maft received no damage, for the fury of the wind, (which was presently over) did not reach them. Three men were in the fore-top, when the fore maft broke, and one on the bow-fprit, and fell with them into the fea, but all of them were faved. I had this relation from mr. John Canby, who was then quarter-mafter and fteward of her; one Abraham Wife was chief-mate, and Leonard Jeffries fecond-mate.

We are ufually much afraid of them, yet this was the only damage that I ever heard done by them. They feem terrible enough, the rather, be cause they come upon you while you lie becalmed, like a log in the fea, and cannot get out of their way. But though I have feen and been befet by them often, yet the fright was always greater than the harm, Dampier, Vol. I. page 451.

in defcribing (as well as my memory ferves me) the water fpout I faw at Antigua; and fhall think this, or any other fervice I can do, well repaid, if it contributes to your fatisfaction in fo curious a difquifition. I had often feen water spouts at a distance, and heard many ftrange ftories of them, but never knew any thing fatisfactory of their nature or caufe, until that which I faw at Antigua; which convinced me that a water-fpout is a whirl-wind, which becomes vifible in all its dimenfions by the water it carries up with it. There appeared not far from the

mouth of the harbour of St. John's, two or three water fpouts, one of which took its courfe up the harbeur. Its progreffive motion was flow and unequal, not in a ftrait line, but, as it were, by jerks or starts, When just by the wharf, I flood about 100 yards from it. There appeared in the water a circle of about twenty yards diameter, which, to me, had a dreadful, though pleafing appearance, The water in this circle was violently agitated, being whisked about and carried up into the air with great rapidity and noife, and reflected a luftre, as if the fun fhined bright on that spot, which was more confpicuous, as there appeared a dark circle around it. When it made the fhore, it carried up with the fame violence fhingles, ftaves, large pieces of the roofs of houses, &c. and one fmall wooden house it lifted entire from the foundation on which it flood, and carried to the distance of fourteen feet, where it fettled without breaking or overfetting and, what is remarkable, though the whirlwind moved from weft to eaft, the houfe

moved from east to west. Two or three negroes and a white woman were killed by the fall of timber, which it carried up into the air, and dropt again. After paffing through the town, I believe it was foon diffipated; for, except tearing a large limb from a tree, and part of the cover of a fugar-work near the town, I do not remember any farther damage done by it. I conclude, wishing you fuccefs in your enquiry.

And am, &c. W. M.

Remarkable encounter of a white man

with two Indians. In a letter to a gentleman of Philadelphia.

Westmoreland, April 26, 1779. DEAR SIR,

WROTE you a note a few days ago, in which I promised you the particulars of an affair between a white man of this county, and two Indians: now I mean to relate the whole ftory, and it is as follows:

The white man is upwards of fixty years of age; his name is David Morgan, a kinfman to col. Morgan,, of the rifle battalion. This man had, through fear of the Indians, fled to a fort about twenty miles above the province line, and near the east fide of Monongahela river. From thence he fent fome of his younger children to his plantation, which was about a mile diftant, there to do some bufinefs in the field. He afterwards thought fit to follow, and fee how they fared. Getting to his field, and feating himself upon the fence, within view of his children, where they were at work, he efpied two Indians making towards them; on which he called to his children to make their efcape, for there were Indians. The Indians immediately bent their course towards him. He made the best hafte to escape away, that his age and confequent infirmity would permit ; but foon found he would be overtak. en, which made him think of defence.

Being armed with a good rifle, he faced about, and found himself under the neceffity of running four or five perches towards the Indians, in order to obtain shelter behind a tree of fufficient fize.

This unexpected manoeuvre obliged the Indians, who were close by, to ftop where they had but small timber to fhelter behind, which gave mr. Morgan an opportunity of fhooting one of them dead upon the spot. The other, taking the advantage of Morgan's empty gun, advanced upon him, and put him to flight a fecond time, and being lighter of foot than the old man, foon came up within a few paces, when he fired at him, but fortunately miffed him. On this mr. Morgan faced about again, to try his fortune, and clubbed his firelock. The Indian by this time had got his tomahawk in order for a throw, at which they are very dextrous. Morgan made the blow, and the Indian the throw, almoft at the fame inftant, by which the little finger was cut off Morgan's left hand, and the one next to it almost off, and his gun broke of by the lock. Now they came to clofe grips. Morgan put the Indian down; but foon found himfelf overturned, and the Indian upon him, feeling for his knife, and yelling most hideously, as their manner is when they look upon victory to be certain. However, a woman's apron, which the Indian had plundered out of a houfe in the neighbourhood, and tied on him, above his knife, was now in his way, and fo hindered him getting at it quickly, that Morgan got one of his fingers faft in his mouth, and deprived him of the ufe of that hand, by holding it, and difconcerted him confiderably by chewing it; all the while obferving how he would come on with his knife. At length the Indian had got hold of his knife, but fo far towards the blade, that Morgan got a fmall hold of the hinder end; and as the Indian pulled

it out of the fcabbard, Morgan giv. ing his finger a fevere fcrew with his teeth, twitched it out through his hand, cutting it most grievously. By this time they were both got partly on their feet, and the Indian was endeavouring to difengage himself; but Morgan held faft by the finger, and quickly applied the point of the knife to the fide of its favage owner; a bone happening in the way, prevented its penetrating any great depth, but a fecond blow directed more towards the belly, found free paffage into his bowels. The old man turned the point upwards, made a large wound, burying the knife therein, and fo took his departure inftantly to the fort, with the news of his adventure.

On the report of mr. Morgan, a party went out from the fort, and found the firft Indian where he fell; the fecond they found not yet dead, at one hundred yards distance from the scene of action, hid in the top of a fallen tree, where he had picked the knife out of his body, after which had come out parched corn, &c. and had bound up his wound with the apron aforementioned; and on firft fight he faluted them with, How do do, broder, how do do, broder? but alas! poor favage, their brotherhood to him extended only to tomahawking, fcalping, and, to gratify fome peculiar feelings of their own, skinning them both; and they have their fkins now in preparation for drum heads.

ly, are judges of the form of a government, whether it be calculated to promote the happiness of fociety, by reftraining arbitrary power and licentioufnefs-by excluding corruption-and by giving the utmoft poffible duration to the enjoyment of lithe enjoyment of libeity, or otherwife. Forms in government, are not like forms in religion. They are effential to the very existence of freedom in a government. There cannot be a greater miftake, therefore, than mr. Pope's pofition, that" that form of government is beft, which is best adminiftered."

2. There is a wide difference between power being derived from the people, and being feated in the people. The former propofition cannot be too often inculcated in a free country. Disorder and tyranny muft enfue from all power being feated in the bulk of the people.

3. The great art of government, fays the bishop of St. Afaph, is, not to govern too much.-This excellent maxim fhould be written in golden characters over the door of every state-house.

4. The opinions of the people at large, are often erroneous-their feelings are generally right.

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5. Some men think that tyranny can be oppofed only in the perfon of a king, but this is a mistake. The "ardor civium prava jubentium" is as much to be dreaded as the "vultus infantis tyranni." There are men who are undaunted in their oppofition to a fingle tyrant, but are, notwithstanding, the flaves of the prejadices and paffions of the people.

6. It is wrong, to meafure a man's love of liberty by his zeal, or by the degrees of hunger and cold he has endured in ferving his country. Who fought and fuffered more than Cromwell; and yet in what history of mankind fhall we find a worfe man? There were, in former times, martyrs Vol. II. No. I,

to religion without charity-fo there are, in all countries, martyrs to liberty without patriotifm.

7. The great fource of all the evils which afflict republics, is, that we are too apt to make choice of rulers, who are either politicians without being patriots, or patriots without being politicians.

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8. The fcience of government is the molt fublime (next to religion) of any science in the world. It relates to that most complicated of all God's works, the mind of man. is lefs understood than aftronomy; and yet where do we find a man fo modeft, as not to think himself equal to every branch of it! We know no more of taxes-commerce-war-and crimes and punishments-as objects of legislation, than was known five hundred years ago. We read hiftory, not to avoid, but to imitate the blunders of antiquity.

9. A good husband-a good father-and a good mafter, are proper characters for a monarchy, where felfifhnefs reigns in proportion to the degrees of tyranny. A good citizen is the highest character for a man in a republic. The firft duty we owe is to God-the fecond to our country -and the third to our families. The man who inverts the gradation of thefe duties, breaks in upon the order of nature, eftablished by God for the happiness and freedom of the world.

10. It is of the utmost importance, that the women fhould be well inftructed in the principles of liberty, in a republic. Some of the firft patriots of ancient times, were formed by their mothers. The ftrength and union of parties-the ambition-the wealth and even the popularity of individuals, fhould be carefully watched and properly reftrained in all republics. There is a fpecies of charity to the poor, which is dan gerous to the liberties of a community. The people of Rome were K