honour, probity, generosity, and good breeding, as any I have known, in any sect of religion or philosophy.

I wish your nation may be admitted to all the privileges of citizens in every country of the world. This country has done much; I wish it may do more, and annul every narrow idea in religion, government, and commerce. Let the wits joke, the philosopher sneer. What then? It has pleased the Providence of the first cause, the universal cause, that Abraham should give religion, not only to the Hebrews but to Christians and Mahometans, the greatest part of the modern civilized world. JOHN ADAMS."

THE MEMORY OF ERIN:

An American Song for St. Patrick's Day.

ERIN, tho' lost, still dear to all,

Who once in childhood breath'd thy air;

We seek not now to mourn thy fall,

But bless thee, and the friends still there :
There is, in thy unhappy fate,

Some spell, which strongly draws to thee
The love of all-save those who hate

Whate'er is virtuous, brave, and free.

We know not if thy doom is cast

O'er faded hopes, and chains to weep;
If smiles and frowns have power at last,
To lull all former thoughts to sleep.
We ask not now-our home is here-

Land of our choice, our love, our pride;
Where we may boast, through sorrow's tear,
How Erin's sons have lived and died.

Tho' we are wanderers in thy sight,

And bound elsewhere by sacred ties;
If Freedom guide our steps, then flight
Is holy even in honour's eyes.
And still we hail with joy the day,

When old affections fly to meet
Old scenes, old friends, now far away,
But once enjoyed, for ever sweet.

HOWARD'S WORK ON LAZARETTOS.

THE world is well acquainted with the benevolent exertions of the philanthropic Howard in mitigating the miseries of prisons, and the world has done justice to his memory in appreciating them. When living, he was honoured with the attention of the sovereigns in Europe, and his death at Cherson was announced in the Petersburgh Gazette, and afterwards copied into the London Gazette, an honour never paid to any other private individual. It is not, however, generally known, with what unremitting ardour he pursued his god-like design, not only visiting all the prisons in Europe, the Lazarettos, and other quarantine institutions, but when at home, devoting his whole time to his favourite object. His correspondence gives full evidence of this, as may be seen by the following extracts from his letters written at Warrington, while his work on Lazarettos was in the press.

"Dec. 28th, 1779.-I hope, on Monday se'nnight, to begin on my octavo edition: I devote my whole time to it. I have not been a quarter of a mile out since I have been here, but, I bless God, I am well, and a great weight will soon be off my mind.

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Jan. 8th, 1780.-I wrote this week, plagued with printer's devils on holidays. You are not to wonder a man's out of humour-but we must now go on well.

"Jan. 31st, 1780.-I keep close to my business; this morning at my books before three. I wish to deliver my presents before the judges go their circuits, as I do know and rejoice in it, that they do check my account on their tour.

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Feb. 12th, 1780.-Make your son a present of half my letter. Tell him how, in Bedfordshire, I have broke in my bricklayers, hedgers, &c.; if done wrong and careless, every stake and brick is taken up and begun afresh.

"Feb. 18th, 1784.-Since I had the pleasure of seeing you I have not been idle; not a mile and a half out of town; and few mornings have I ever been a-bed at 4 o'clock, for I have had, for many weeks past, six sheets a-week.

"P.S. I allude to none of your political squabbles; I content myself with one country paper."

THE WONDERS OF THE NIAGARA.

THE following very interesting account of some of the wonders of the Niagara, is extracted from a letter from an officer of the United States' army, dated, Fort Niagara, September 27, 18-.

"I made an excursion, not long since, in company with three other gentlemen, to a place called the Devil's Hole. It is a huge chasm in the bank of the river, three miles below the falls. The height of the bank at this place is estimated at nearly thirty feet from the surface of the river, and it is composed chiefly of layers of limestone. In this bank, a gap extending from the border of the river about 200 yards into the country, and of a various width, from twenty to 700 yards, appears as if dug out by human labour. Its walls or sides are either perpendicular or shelving over, but in no place slopingso that, on looking over the brink, you would suppose a person at the bottom could have but small hopes of ever arriving upon the surface of the earth again. No outlet appears but that of the river, and that offers only the last consolation to misery-death. But fear and astonishment deform objects. After the first impressions have subsided, and the dizziness .caused by looking down from such a height has left the head steady, the view is of a different character. At the upper extremity, towards the country, the perpendicular descent is not more than forty or fifty feet, after which the angle of the slope to the river-side is about forty-five degrees. In a field, at the distance of four or five hundred yards from this point, a small brook suddenly leaves its course and sinks into the earth, and is seen no more till it emerges in foam and bubbles in the centre of the Devil's Hole, from whence its pursues a rough precipitous channel into the Niagara. A deed of horrour was acted at the Devil's Hole, of which it was a proper theatre. Tradition tells the story, and ascribes to it the origin of the name. On a certain night, during the last French war, as a party of Englishmen were going from the head to the foot of the portage, with waggons loaded with merchandize, and under an escort of soldiers, a party of Indians in alliance with the French sprang from a ravine just in the rear of the Devil's Hole, where they had lain in ambush, and cut them off from retreat in every direction but in the hole. The dreadful yell breaking upon the still gloom of midnight, and resounding through the dark cavern and the forest, announced their fate, and was alone sufficient to deprive them of all power of resistance. They surrendered, therefore, without a struggle, expecting the

tomahawk soon to put an end to their terrors and their existence. But, no: they were mistaken. The savage seems here to have risen above himself in horrors. They conducted their victims to the edge of a cliff which hangs over the Devil's Hole, and with one sweep plunged them all into the profound abyss. Men, beasts, and waggons, all fell together, and were dashed to pieces on the bottom, excepting one man, who escaped in a most extraordinary manner by lodging in the branch of a tree growing near the precipice: he is said to be living now somewhere in this state. There may be some exaggeration in this story, but I give the facts as I received them. In evidence of the truth of the story, there have been pieces of iron belonging to a waggon found on the spot where they fell.

Travellers, who have visited the Falls, have heretofore looked into the Devil's Hole, and retired, without indulging their curiosity further; but several of the inhabitants in the vicinity had ventured down before we undertook to explore it. We effected our descent without much hazard, but, not being prepared with tools and labourers to dig for remains, we merely passed through to the river, and returned. The view of the river at this spot is really terrific. It rolls and tumbles along with inconceivable force, dashing against its rugged banks, and roaring like a hurricane. In some places, it piles itself into huge waves, which tumble into foam, and are succeeded by others. Upon the whole, I think this scene, including the immense piles of rocks which bound it on every side, must be one of the most sublime that nature affords, the Falls only excepted. Large cakes of ice are found among the rocks, along the rivulet that runs through the Devil's Hole, at all times of the year. The banks of the river, for the extent of twelve miles, are one continuation of natural wonders, of which the Falls and the Devil's Hole are the principal."

Extract of a Letter from Estwick Evans, Esq. the New-Hampshire Pedestrian.

"In relation to the Falls of Niagara, I was much disappointed, both with respect to the height and quantity of water propelled over them in a given time. There is, however, in their eternal roar, a nameless solitude. The rapids, first above the Falls, excited much more interest: dark, furious, and perplexed, they rush towards the Falls, as though eager for destruction. Here the imagination at once becomes aroused, and with a sombre yet vivid glance surveys the opposite and renowned plains of Chippewa and Bridgewater. Then returning to the Rapids, it hears, in the voice of their fury, the halfdrowned vow of the warrior, and sees in their mist his falling

steed and brandishing falchion. The trees near the Falls were all prostrated by the weight of congealed vapour, and seemed to worship most devoutly the Great Author of this grand spectacle. A beautiful rainbow arched the river below, and numerous gulls were obscurely seen sailing through the thick exhalations, which filled the whole space to the Canada side. Charon and his boat only were wanted to complete the scene.

"How great are the advantages of solitude! and how impressive is the grand in nature! The force of thought and luxury of sentiment which the wilderness inspires, are indescribable. Here man feels at once humble and exalted. Silence, with a voice of thunder, maintains the cause of virtue, and the human soul experiences the tranquil ardour of immortal hopes. I was surprised to find that the river Niagara and Lake Ontario never freeze. It is a fact, of which I was ignorant. The cause of it is not easily ascertained."

EPITAPHS ON WOLFE.

ON the death of general Wolfe, a premium was offered for the best written epitaph on that brave officer. A number of poets of all descriptions started as candidates; and among the rest was a poem sent to the editor of the Public Ledger, of which the following was one of the stanzas:

"He march'd without dread or fears

At the head of his bold grenadiers;

And what was more remarkable-nay, very particular,
He climbed up rocks that were perpendicular."

MAIDS OF HONOUR.

THE young ladies of family who are placed about the person of the queen consort, with the appellation of Maids of Honour, have always been exposed to that description of flippant wit which is generally found at courts and among courtiers. There is a curious letter extant, written in the reign of James I. by the earl of Worcester, on the appointment of this female branch of state attendance on Anne of Denmark, his queen. Speaking of the maids of honour and the ladies of the bed-chamber, he most ungallantly observes, that "The plotting mallice among them is suche, that I think envey hath teyd an invisible snake about some of their necks, to sting won another to deaythe. For the presence, there are now five