blown off, four and fix inches deep, several yards in length, and two, three and four feet in breadth. Stones weighing feveral pounds, were moved from the place, a number of yards. There was no tree, bush, or common pasture brakes growing on this turf, expofe it to the gale. People of veracity, who faw the dreadful ruin, carried through that enclofure, fay, that no tree paffed the place, which could poffibly break the ground that there was no fenfible discharge from the cloud, while it was near that lot, or any which was fuppofed to be in that direction, r the course of the day. At the time of its paffing Mr. Fay's, a number of perfons were within a few rods of it, and obferved a heavy undulatory found, like thunder at a great distance, which kept pace with the collection of black vapour, which rofe and fell almost inftantaneously on the furface of the earth. These facts may afford matter of speculation to our Philofophical readers. The inhabitants of this country (whateever may be faid of others) have feldom been fhocked with fuch a profpect as this whirlwind opened to view; and it is impoffible to paint it in fuch a manner as to give the reader a just idea of the original. Suffice it to fay, it was dreadfully entertaining, to fee parts of buildings, fhingles, boards, timbers in different forms, houfhold furniture, limbs of trees, and indeed whole trees, fporting in air, and darting a thoufand ways in clouds, which looked like the appointed fervants of a WHIRLWIND ! "Gloucefter, Rhode Island, Aug. 17, 1787. "Wednesday lait, about 5 o'clock, P. M. the North Part of this Town was much injured by a Tornado, or Whirlwind, more extraordinary and terrible in its Effects than any thing of the Kind ever known here. It began in Tompfon Parish, Killingly, and its Courfe was about E. b. N. In its Progrefs it tore up whole Orchards by the Roots; one large new Barn, full of Hay, was laid level with the Ground; one old House and Barn torn to Pieces, the Family escaped by taking to the Cellar; one Corn Crib was taken up, and carried about 4 Rods. The Roofs of feveral other Houfes were taken off, or much damaged ; one Woman was carried fome Distance, but not much hurt. Its Width was from 40 to 100 Rods. The Timber in the Woods was proftrated in almost every Direction, and whole Groves fwept down. The Fences for Miles were laid level with the Ground. About 8 Feet of the Top of a Chimney, lately built to a new Houfe, was moved about two Inches. Vaft numbers of Stacks of Hay were torn to Pieces, and Fields of Corn and Flax in the Shock blown away. In fine, nothing in its Way efcaped its Violence. We are happy to learn that no Lives are loft, so far as we bave yet heard. Its Violence in a great Measure ceafed in Mendon, about 20 Miles diftant from where it began." Counts which have been published in the pa pers, of different whirlwinds which happened. on the 15th inft. we have the following That, in the afternoon of that day, a whirlwind was perceived to advance towards a house.. in Dunbarton, ftate of Newhampshire on difcovering its approach, the owner of the house ran in, and intreated all to go down cellar while it paffed-the houfe was entirely new, and had no glaís to the windows-the owner, in attempting to put a board up at the window which was in the room where the fa mily were a few moments before, was taken with the board, by the hurricane, from that window, and driven across the room, out at another, but without materially injuring him the house was very confiderably damaged, as was likewife a barn, which alfo was new, and ftood in the range of the hurricane.From Dunbarton it proceeded to New Concord, on Merrimack river, in the fame ftate, deftroying, in that town, feveral houses, barns, fields of corn, &c. and orchards, and more or lefs damaging a number of others.. From hence, the whirlwind entered on the river, taking along with it a cyder mill house, which stood at fome distance from the fhore, and completely fet it adrift on the water. A, ferry boat, paffing at the fame time, was ta ken up and carried a confiderable distance, and dropped again on the river. The agitation on the water was furprisingly great. The.. whirlwind is fuppofed to have paffed off in the river, as no traces could be difcovered of it. afterwards.. 4 "Hallowell, Kennebeck river, August, 18, 22 "On Saturday the 4th inft. about two o' clock, P. M. a thunder guftrofe in the west. It began with rain, which was fucceeded by hail, of a fize nearly as large as pullets eggs, fome of which weighed three quarters of an ounce. All the windows to the windward fide of the houses, within the compass of its extent, which was about one mile in width, were hivered to pieces. It alfo damaged the corn and other vegetables confiderably." We have the pleasure of informing the publick, that on Wednesday last arrived in this town, Col. LYMAN, commanding officer of the troops raised for the fupport of government, and the protection of the peacea. ble and well affected inhabitants in the Weftern counties.-The intelligence by this gentleman is extremely agreeable-Almost all the perfons who have been in open oppofition to the laws, have taken the oath of allegiance, and returned to the bofom of their country, in confequence of the late generous offer of pardon and indemnity. We are further affured, that a degree of good hu- mour and tranquillity fubfifts in those parts, fo lately the icene of outrage and diffention, beyond what was generally expected-The infurgents almoft univerfally discovering a ftrong difpofition to enjoy the bleffings of the free and happy government by which they are protected. There have been, indeed, a : few, who have not yet fhewn open marks of contrition, which thofe of better characters have been free to acknowledge—but these are of lefs confequence, and are every day be.. coming more attentive to their private concerns, and lefs difcontented and uneasy from their political fituation, The harveft has been remarkably favourable, and every circumftance feems to announce the immediate restoration and establishment of peace and good government. On Saturday laft arrived here, Capt. Thomas Newall, and the crew of the Ship Active, which failed from Savannah, in Georgia, bound to Europe, on the 7th of Auguft ult. and on the 17th in lat. 40' long. 64, about 100 leagues from Nantucket, foundered in a heavy gale of wind, in the gulph ftream→ On the fhip's going down, the Captain and crew took to their boats, in which they continued 5 days when after fuffering 18 hours in a hard gale of wind, attended with rain,, and in a moment too when destruction appeared to them inevitable, they providentially fell in with a fishing veffel, off the fouth eaft part of George's Bank, which took them on board. Saturday fennight, master Robert Clough, fon of Mr. Robert Clough, of this town, be ing at play with another child, in Mr. Makepeace's chocolate mills, north end, by fome accident the former got entangled in the machinary of the works, while the horses. were on the go, and was fo fhockingly mangled in his bowels, &c. that he died at two o'clock, Sunday morning. Sunday evening fennight about 8 o'clock, fix convicts, who were confined in Suffolk jail for various offences, made their efcape by the most dirty paffage poffible; but, being much encumbered, and heavy laden with chains, &c. before they got entirely clear, three of them were caught, and recommitted to separate apartments of the dungeon. Tuesday laft, the Hon. the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court, commenced their feflions in this town, with the ufual ceremonies-The Hon. Judge Cubing gave a fpirited and pathetick Charge to the Grand Jury. WORCESTER. It is faid the Federal Convention' completed their weighty and interesting hufinefs last week, and it is fuppofed, their plan for our Federal Government is now before Congrefs; and we expect it will as foon as poflible be laid before the legiflature of each State. "Southborough, 16th Aug. 1787. "Mr. EDITOR, "I TAKE this opportunity to forward you fome particulars of the whirlwind which there was in this and the adjacent towns, on the 15th inft. It began about 3 o'clock, P. M. the fly, in the morning, was clear and ferene ; about 11 o'clock the clouds began to collect, and were greatly agitated, and by two o'clock began to be hurled about with great impetuofity; about 3 o'clock they formed a folid column, with a black and me nacing look, which, to appearance, threatened all this part with deftruction, and filled every beholder with aftonishment. It began near Chancey Pond in Westborough, and the first proof of its violence and irresistible ftrength, that we faw, was a large houfe and barn, belonging to one Maynard, in the fouthwest corner of Marlborough, torn, to pieces in a moment, and the timber and boards hurled with amazing fury into the clouds-it was about fixty rods in width,, and all the trees, fences, ftanding corn, ftone. wall, and even the very furface of the earth, in many places, was torn up for many rods in length, and carried away; indeed, and in truth, the air was full of large trees, and every combustible that could be thought of. It fwept about three miles through the north, part of this town, to Framingham, deftroying one barn totally, and part of another, and unroofing one houfe. In its way to the east it took the roof of a large new houfe, in the edge of Framingham, belonging to Mr. Fairbanks, entirely deftroyed his barn and corn houfe, and tore up moft of the trees in a large orchard by the roots. The next at, tack was at the widow Shattuck's, about half a mile from Fairbanks's; there it feemed to redouble its fury, fwept away the house and barn, all the apple and other large trees that, were near the houfe, and a large ftone chim-.. ner, all were hurled, with two old ladies, five, rods into the road, where it left them amongst the ruins; this was the firft inftance, where any perfon received the leaft injury; one of them is fo badly hurt that her life is defpaired of, the other it is thought will recover; a very extraordinary circumftance attended the destruction of this building; there were in the east room two fmall children, afleep on the bed, all was carried over them, the chimney tumbled down all around them, the tim-, ber covered them up, and they did not awake until it was over, and were found unhurt !-it deftroyed a barn for Mr. Smith, his cyder mill houfe, and part of the roof of his dwelling houfe; took off the roof of Mr. Froft's barn, and damaged fome other buildings. I followed its track about eight miles yesterday, and find ten buildings either entirely destroy-ed or very much damaged, and the wood and fiue timber, with all the fruit trees, corn, grain, flax, hay, fence, and ftone wall thrown down, fo that I think the damage fuftained. is at a moderate computation not less thau, two thousand pounds. I understand its fury. was fo far exhaufted that it did but little damage below Framingham. TH MAXIMS and OBSERVATIONS. The LAST JUDGMENT. HE picture of the last judgment is the most fublime that ever was drawn by the hand of man; it is fo grand, fo magnificent, fo awful, it ought to make a part in the plan of the univerfe. All hearts laid before the univerfal aflembly of mankind, guilty thoughts, crimes unveiled in broad day light, and the wretch who ufurped the homage due to virtue crushed under the weight of infamy. The Judge of the Universe leaving to each of his creatures, as a punishment or reward, the picture of his paft life, a faithful living picture that the deceiving hand can no longer palliate with artifice or errour; truth blazing forth with all its rays, piercing into the most facred folds of the human heart; the innocent who ftood condemned, triumphs in the face of the universe, whilst the guilty, who efcaped by the falfe opinion of mankind, hears his fentence pronounced by the judge who fees all; falfhood has difappeared from the earth; all darkness is diffipated-no more shades; a pure light which expands over the utility of the eternal degrees; an authentick reparation of the tranfient calamities the good man experienced; a loud publication of what treachery imagined was buried in the filent grave. A crime arifing from the deep abyfs on the furface of the glafs where Divine Juftice prefides; the lightning of his glance punishes or rewards ; the monarch on a level with the meanest of his fubjects; the fword of ambition and the fceptre of pride alike shivered; the hand that offered the glafs of water through charity, ftriking out the proud one that formed the moft fplendid monument of genius-What ideas more grand, more magnificent, more confol. ing, more proper to encourage virtue, to deter vice, to draw a man nearer to eternity, which he forgets! Where shall we find in Homer, Pindar, Virgil, in any ancient or modern poet, a defcription any way equal to the majestick grandeur of this. TRUTH. Truth is fcarcely to be heard but by thofe from whom it ferves no intereft to conceal it. Truth, like beauty, varies its fashions, and is beft recommended by different dreffes, to different minds. There is no crime more infamous than the violation of truth; it is арра rent, that men can be fociable beings no Nothing dejects a trader like the interruption of his profits. TRAVELLING All travel has its advantages; if the paffenger vifits better countries, he may learn to improve his own; and if fortune carries him to worfe, he may learn to enjoy it. He that would travel for the enter tainment of others, fhould remember, that the great object of remark is Human Life. Every nation has fomething in its manufactures, its works of genius, its medicines, its agriculture, its cuftoms, and its policy. He only is a ufeful traveller, who brings home fome thing by which his country may be benefited, who procures fome supply of want, or fome mitigation of evil, which may enable his readers to compare their condition with that of others, to improve it wherever it is worse, and wherever it is better to enjoy it. UNIVERSALITY. What is fit for every thing can fit nothing well. UNDERSTANDING. As the inind must govern the hands, fo in every fociety, the man of intelligence must direct the man of labour. GREAT UNDERSTANDINGS. A large work is difficult because it is large, even though all its parts might be performed with facility, where there are many things to be done, each muit be allowed its fhare of time and labour, in the proportion only which it bears to the whole; nor can it be expected, that the ftones which form the dome of a temple, fhould be squared and polished like the diamond of a ring. APPEARANCES (often deceitful.) In the condition of men it frequently happens, that grief and anxiety are hid under the golden robes of profperity, and the gloom of calamity is cheered by fecret radiations of hope and comfort; as in the works of nature, the bog is fometimes covered with flowers, and the mine concealed in the most barren crags. VOL. III.] THE [NUMB. XXIV. WORCESTER MAGAZINE. A For the Second Week in September, 1787. HISTORY of the late WAR in AMERICA. N expedition which General Sir Henry Clinton was upon the point of undertaking up the North River, probably contributed to the more fpeedy recall of the forces from the Virginia adventure. The enemy had for fome time been engaged, and at great labour and expence, in constructing very strong works, at the two important pofts of Verplanks Neck, and Stoney Point, in the Highlands. Thefe pofts, which are on nearly oppofite points of land, the first being on the East, and the other on the Weft fide of the North river, were of the utmost importance for keeping the communication open between the Eastern and Western colonies, the great pafs called King's Ferry lying directly between them. As thefe works were nearly completed, but not yet defenfible, the general thought it the proper season to avail himself of the industry of the enemy, and to reap the fruits of their toil. Washington, who lay with his army at Middle Brook in Jerfey, was at too great a distance to interrupt the execution of the defign; nor could his efforts at any rate have extended to the eaftern fide of the river. We have already had occafion to fee the prodigious advantage, which the naval command of that great river and boundary afforded to an army, in any fingle or double scheme of operation on either fide. The troops deftined for this férvice, under the command of Major General May 30th. embarked, when they were Vaughan, were only newly joined by the force returned from the Chesapeak, and proceeded all together up the North River; the naval department being under the conduct of Sir George Collier. On the following morning, General Vaughan, with the greater part of the army, landed on the Eaft fide of the river, about eight miles short of Verplanks'; whilft the remain. der, under the conduct of General Pattifon, and accompanied by Sir Henry Clinton, advancing farther up, landed within three miles of Stoney Point. Upon the appearance of the fhips, the enemy immediately abandoned their works; but took care to fet fire to a large block house. Upon the approach of the troops to take poffeffion of Stoney Point, they, however, made fome fhew of refiftance, by drawing up on the hills; but they did not venture to abide the conflict. The Americans had finifhed a small, but ftrong and complete work, on the oppofite fide of the river, which they called Fort la Fayette; this was defended by four pieces of artillery, and a small garrifon of between 70 and 80 men. But this little redoubt, though ftrong in itself, was effectually commanded by Stoney Point, which lies at about a thousand yards diftance on the oppofite fhore; and it being exceedingly difficult of approach from its own fide, at least for the conveyance of artillery, the attack was accordingly intended from the other. For this purpofe, General Pattifon, with infinite fatigue and labour, and the most indefatigable perfeverance during the night, overcame the difficulties of dragging the heavy artillery, from a very bad landing place up a fteep precipice, to the top of the hill; and his exertions and arrangements were fo effectual and judicious, that by five on the following morning, he had opened a battery of cannon, and another of mortars, on the fummit of the difficult rocks of Stoney Point, which poured a storm of fire over on Fort la Fayette. The attack was fupported by Sir George Collier, who advanced with the gallies and gun boats within reach of the fort. The cannonade was continu ed on all fides during the day; and as foon as it was dark, Sir George ordered two of the gallies to pafs the fort, and anchor above it, in order to prevent the efcape of the garrifon by water. In the mean time, General Vaughan with his divifion, having made a long circuit through the hills, was at length arrived, and had clofely invested the fort on the land fide. The garrifon feeing that all poffibility of efcape was now cut off, and that their fire was totally overpowered and loft in the magnitude of that which they received, furrendered their little fortrefs on the following morning, and themselves prifoners of war, without any other ftipulation than that of humane treatment. The boldness of their defence certainly merited fome praise, although we do not know that it was paid on either fide. The general gave immediate diree tion for finishing and completing the works of both pofts, and for putting Stoney Point in particular, in the strongeft state of defence. And for their better fupport and protection, as well as with a view to the further operations of the campaign, encamped his army at Philipsburgh, fomething about half way down the river to Newyork Inland; which he likewife rendered a post of fome importance, by throwing up works, in order for the establishment and prefervation of a free communication in future. By the lofs of these pofts, the rebels in the Jerseys were under a neceffity of making a detour of above ninety miles through the mountains, to communicate with the countries Eaft of Hudfon's River. The ftate of the hoftile armies on both fides with respect to actual force, together with the want of money, and the paucity of military provifion on one, neceffarily limited the views of the oppofite commanders, and prevented their undertaking any extenfive operations. They were each in a strong state of defence, and neither had fuch a fuperiority of force, as could compel his adverfary to relinquith the advantages of his fituation. Washington was befides in expectation of foreign aid; and it would have been little confiftent with his ufual character of caution and judgment, to have run the hazard by any previous attempt, or hafty measure, of weakening his natural ftrength in fuch a degree, as might render him incapable of profiting by the affiftance of his ally, and the American arms and force, of courfe contemptible in his eyes. The campaign was accordingly languid, and its operations confined to the furprize of pofts, and to defultory excurfions; to the last of which, the Americans were now, as at all times, exceedingly expofed, and upon no footing of equality with their enemy. The numberlefs fmall cruizers, whale boats, and other craft of that nature, from the Connecticut coafts, which infefted the found, lying between that colony and Long Island, were fo watchful and conftant in their depredations, and their fituation afforded them fuch opportunities, that they had nearly deftroyed the trade to and from Newyork on that fide, to the very great discommodity and distress of that city, as well as of the fleet and army. Upon this account, General Sir Henry Clinton, and Sir George Collier, determined on a courfe of defultory invasions along that coaft, with a view of curing the evil, by cutting off the means of depredation in the deftruction of their piratical craft, and fo far as it could be done, of their other veffels and materials for building. Governour Tryon, who was likewife a general officer, was appointed to the conduct of the land fervice in this expedition; his force amounted to about 2600 men, and he was feconded by Brigadier General Garth, an officer of diftinguithed merit and activity. The fleet having arrived at Newhaven, the forces were landed, and took poffeffion of that town, and of a battery that covered the harbour, without any great lofs, although they met with every impe. diment in their power, and no fmall fhare of irregular refiftance from the inhabitants and neighbouring militia. The fort, and every thing for naval or military purposes, were deftroyed. The town was fpared, although first doomed to deftruction, owing to fome measures obferved by the militia, in not molesting the troops on their retreat. The Heet departed from Newhaven to Fairfield, where the troops were again landed, and again oppofed. Here the town was fet on fire, and every thing of value confumed. The fame measure was repeated in the fubfequent and concluding expedition to Norwalk; where the militia being more numerous, and the refiftance greater, than in the former places, both that own, and the small one of Greenfield, were totally destroyed. The lofs fuftained by the Americans in this last act of the expedition was very great. Befides that of their houses, and |