united ftates, the proceedings were as 1 Law regulation relative to notes of hand. ON Saturday, the 8th of September, 1787, was determined, in the court of common pleas, for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a cause, January verlus Goodman, wherein it was established as a principle, that where there are fubfcribing witnesses to a note of hand, it is necessary, as in the cafe of a deed, to produce them upon the trial, or to give some fatisfactory reafon for their absence: but that, if there are no witnesses, then proof of the party's hand-writing is fufficient. This diftinction deserves the attention of the public: as the obtaining witnesses to a note of hand, has frequently been confidered as a matter of useful precaution, but it may, we find. be productive of confiderable embarrassment. : Account of aneletrical eel, or the tor- URINAM, a colony of South Holland, abounds with as many natural curiosities as any country in the world. But that which I look upon to be as surprising as any in it, and which I believe has not as yet been accurately described, is a fish of the species of eel, and is caught there in nets among other fith; generally in muddy rivers, and 1 believe is found in most of the neighbouring provinces. In fize and colour it is not unlike a common eel of Europe or America, and in shape refembles it more, except that it is thicker in proportion to its length, and the head is more flat and not fo pointed; but differs from them in this refpect, that it comes to the fur-face, to breathe in the air. It is called by the Dutch beave aal, and by the English inhabitants the numbing eel. As to the other qualities, of which I mean chiefly to take notice, and which I think are as different a one morning from the torpedo of Europe, as the ing it, or has in its own body a large fish is in shape, they are as follow. fund which it can discharge at plea On touching the fish as it lies in fure, I am greatly at a loss to think of the water, in a tub provided for it, i imagine. fudden and violent shock is is received, in all Il refpeas like that which is felt on touching the prime conductor, when charged with the electrical fluid from the globe; and like that, chiefly affects the ends of the fingers and elbow. Gently holding the tail of the fith with one hand, and touching the head with the other, a very violent shock is felt in both elbows, and through the breast and shoulders. I at firft imagined that the violence of the shock proceeded from both arms receiving it at the fame time, and that the pain was no more than that of the two ftrokes added together; but I found myself miflaken. For upon seven persons joining hands, and the first taking hold of the tail (which may with more ease be held than the he head) and the feventh at the fame time ne touching the head, we were all affected in both elbows, and that in the fame manner as I remember to have been in the electrical experiment, when several persons take hold of the wire, and the equilibrium is reftored by the fluids palling through their bodies, I find the shock may be received may through metallic fubilances. On touching the fish with an old sword blade, I was strongly affected. But arming it with fealing-wax, and tak ing hold of that part which was covered with it, the electrical fluid (I cannot help calling it fo) would not pass; neither has it any effect on the body when en touched with glass bottle, fealing-wax, &c. Yet I cannot ob ferve the Ticy by a leaft diminution of this quaplacing the e tub, which contains the fish, on glass bottles; it continues the fame in all refpects. So that whether it has an unaccountable faculty of collecting a quantity of the fluid from the furrounding waters, or through the body of the perfon touch Although it has no effect on the human body when touched with a piece of wood, or indeed any other fubstance not metallic; yet an accident discovered to me, that on fome occafions the effect would be fenlible through wood. For while I was standing by, as a fervant was emptying the tub, which he had lifted entirely from the ground, and was pouring off the water to renew it, and the fish left almost dry, the negro received so violent a shoek as occafioned him to let the tub fall; and calling another to his allifßance, I caufed them both to lift the tub free from the ground, when pouring off the remains of the water, they both received smart shocks and were obliged to defift from emptying the tub in that manner. This I afterwards tried myself and received the like shock. This fish indeed was one of the largelt I have seen and but newly caught. For I observe after being fome time confined in a tub, and wanting per. haps their natural food, they lofe much of the strength of this extraor dinary quality. I am fometimes apt to conjecture, that this animal has the power of communicating the ftroke, when, and with what degree of force it will; and that it ferves him as a weapon of defence against his enemies. For I have often obferved that on firft taking hold of it, the shock is fined, tolerable ble; but as foon an he perceives himself the leaft con it is much more violent. This ما , = = threw it on the ground; taking hold of it a second time, to return it into the tub, I was more strongly affected than at first, and that not only in my hands and arms, but throughout my whole body; the forepart of my head, and the, back parts of my legs fuffered principally; and in the same manner as on receiving a very fmart thock from a highly charged phial in electrical experiments. On obferving that the sensation occafioned by the shock as to the nature and degree of strength, upon touching different parts of the frih, of its was different, I was firft inclined to think it might be owing to its having an extraordmary faculty of containing more of the fluid in one part of its body than in another. The tail part to above one third of its length, occafions rather a numbnefs and tingling, that pain, but on applying the end of the fingers to the back, head, and under part body, it it caufes a sharp pricking pain. This may pollibly be accounted for by the difference in the texture of the furface of the skin, as the manner of the electrical fluid's coming from a glass tube is different when its furface is altered by being rubbed with different substances, as has been lately taken notice of in a letter to the royal fociety. These are the principal observations, the fhort time I resided ar Surinam, allowed me an opportunity of making relating to this extraordinary animal. ; Admiral Pococke's recift for pickling beef, pork, mutton, &c. and keeping the meat goed and sweet. TAKE four gallons of good water, to which add one pound and a half of mufcovado fugar*, two NOTE. • Melaffes will anfwer, up. When ounces of falt petre, and fix pounds of bay or common great falt: put the whole into a clean pot or keule, and let it boil, being careful to take all the scum off as it comes no more scum rises, s, take the liquor off, and let it sland till it is cold, Then having put the meat you want to preserve, into the veffel you intend to keep it in, pour the liquor over the meat till it be quite covered, in which condition it must be kept. Beef, preserved in this manner, has been taken out of the pickle, after lying in it ten weeks, and been found as good as if not faked more than three days, and at the fame time as tender as a chicken, ounces of fugar, and and half falt. Thus pound of common mall the fame pickle will hold good for twelve months. This pickle is incomparable to cure hams, neats tongues, or beef which you intend to dry, or make what is called hung beef; observing when you take them out of the pickle, first to clean and dry them, then put them in paper bags, and hang them up in a dry warra place. 11 N. B. Some, who have tried the above receipt, chuse their meat, falter than this will elect, instead of fix, take eight or nine pounds of falt. in the hottest weather it has been found neceffary, before the meat is put into the pickle, to rub it well Cover with falt, and let it lie from one to three or four hours, until all the blood runs out from it. If the meat is in the leafl tainted, before it is put into the pickle, it will be entirely spoiled in a day's time, in hos weather. Recovery of two drowned children. Child of mr. Samuel Dash A wood, jun. painter, in Bof placed in a hot bed, with a perfon ton, of two years of age, in the month of October, 1787, fell into a ciftern of water, seven feet deep, and was taken out by a gentleman of the neighbourhood, and was apparently dead : fortunately this gentleman was acquainted with the methods recommended by the humane fociety, and immediately began to put them into practice. was The subject was undressed and wiped as dry as poffible; hot blankets were wrapped round the body, and as one became cold, another was applied with these, fricti on was used to every part of the body; after a few minutes (between four and seven) they had the unexpected fatisfaction to dif cover figns of returning life; the first symptom of recovery, was a convulfive motion of the chest, attended with a forcible effort to distend the lungs : a physician arriving at this time, the pulse examined, and though perceptible, it was extremely: languid and irregular: fumigation of tobacco was vigoroully applied, Vand injection, into the bowels, it instantly produced a full infpiration, fucceeded by loud and laborious roar, and an evident increase of the action of the heart. On fufpending the use of this remedy for a minute, the vigour of the pulse was sensibly abated; and on returning to it again, the effects were as before, together with fmall discharge of indigested matter from the ftomach; in about twenty-five minutes from the child's being taken out of the water, the -pulse began to beat with fome degree of regularity, and the breath Pon the first a a ing to be performed with less labour and interruption, though he was fill to appearance in confiderable distress. At this period he was who was directed to con continue the friction; hot bricks were applied to the feet, and a warming pan of coals directed to be repeatedly mov. ed over the bed clothes. In three or four hours, he appeared to be perfectly recovered, and is now a healthy and promising child. of a The fociety have the further fitisfaction to communicate to the public, the th i inflance child of mr. Hollis, preserved from drowning, by the spirited exertions of mr. Jofeph Gleafon, of Bofton, in the month of September laft: this child had fallen over board at the time of high water, from a wharf at the fouth part of the town, and had once or twice funk, Mr. Gleason inftantly plunged in with his clothes on, and at the risk of his own life, restored him in fafety to the arms of his parents. At a meeting of the truflees, he was declared entitled to the sum of 28s. as a premium for his fervices. Direllions for the recovery of perfone apparently dead from drowning.Published by order of the bumane fo ciety of the commonwealth of Mofjachusetts. ONVEY the perfon to the his head raised. Strip and dry him as quick as poffible. Clean the mouth and nostrils from froth or mud. If a child, let him be placed between two persons naked, in a hot bed. If an adult, lay him on a hot blankes, or bed, and in cold weather, near a fire : in warm weather, the ait hould be freely admitted into the Toom. a The body is next to be gently rubbed with warm woollen cloths, sprinkled with spirits, if at handotherwise dry. A heated warming pan may be now lightly moved over the back, properly covered with blanket : and the body, if of a child, is to be gently fhook every few minutes. While these means are using, one or two afsistants are to be employed in blowing tobacco smoke into the fundament, with the instrument provided for the purpose, or a tobacco pipe, if that cannot be had. The bowl filled with tobacco, and properly lighted, being covered with a handkerchief, or piece of linen, fo as to defend the mouth of the assistant in blowing. Bathe the breast with hot rum, and perfist in the use of these means for several hours. If no figns of life thould then appear, let the body be kept warm several hours longer, with hot bricks or veffels of hot water, applied to the palms of the hands, and foles of the feet, and this, for a longer or shorter time, as the circumstances of the cafe may dictate. THE Exemplary charity. HE Humane society of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, actuated by the same disposition to mitigate the miseries, and preserve the lives of their fellow men, which originated their inftitution, have at a confiderable expense, erected three small houses, for the relief and preservation of shipwrecked feamen-one on Lovell's island, situated on the north west side, on a rifing ground, about fixty rods from the beach or shore: one on the outer beach of Nantasket: and one on Scituate beach, a little to the northward of north river, on the neck of Vol, II, No, VÍ, land, which is usually called the Hummocks:-these being, in the judgment of the marine fociety, the places most exposed, and most likely to answer the ends for which they are intended. The humane society have ordered poles to be erected on them, to point out where said houses stand: and in them they have deposited the necessary means of kindling and preserving a fire, and some other means neceffary for the comfort and relief of the shipwrecked mariner. Could they suppose that any perfon [but those intended to be relieved] would be so loft to every fense of humanity and gratitude, as to take away any of these neceffaries and refreshments, they might think it needful to inform the public, that they shall take effectual means to detect, and to punish with the utmost severity of law, the perfon or persons who may commit any robbery upon these houses: but they cannot think, that any one, who has the smallest trace of sensibility or of justice, would deprive the poor, helpless, and distressed mariner of any thing, which may be neceffary to his comfort or ease, in circumstances of extreme calamity. 1000 The following is extracted from an oration, pronounced by David Dagget, esq. attorney at law, in the city of Newhaven, in Connecticut, on the 4th of July, 1787. THE eyes of all Europe are fixed upon us. Their writers and orators, who extolled our fuccess, and predicted our future greatness, now laugh at our folly-burlesque ou policy and contemn our dishonesty. They respect us for what we have been--admire us for what we might be--and despise us for what we are. A Shays, an ignoble, contemptible K |