ry of Threefingered Jack, we give this abftract, on the authority of Dr. Mofely.* He In 1780, this terror of Jamaica, who was by nature reftiff to bondage, and defirous of facrificing his life for the emancipation of his fellow flaves, had fled to Mount Lebanus for the purpose of carrying on a perpetual war against the unnatural men of prey. His Obi and horn, two guns and a keen fabre were all his armament; with which and his courage in defcending into the plains, and plundering to supply his wants, and his skill in retreating into difficult fastneffes, where none dared to follow him, he terrified the inhabitants, and set the civil power and the neighbouring militia of that ifland at defiance, for nearly two years. He had neither accomplice, nor affociate. There were a few run away negroes, in the woods near the mountain; but he had croffed their foreheads with fome of the magic in his horn, and they could not betray him. But he trusted no one. fcorned affiftance. He afcended above Spartacus. He robbed alone, fought all his battles alone, and always killed his pursuers. By his magic he was not only the dread of the negroes; but there were many white people, who believed he poffeffed fome fupernatural power. Allured by the rewards offered by Governor Dalling, in proclamations, dated the 12th of December, 1780, and 13th of January, 1781; and by a resolution of the houfe of Affembly, which followed the firft proclamation; two negroes, named Quafhee and Sam with a party of their townsmen went in fearch of him. Quafhee, before he fet out on the expedition, was christened and changed his name to James Reeder. The expedition commenced; and the whole party had been creeping about in the woods, for three weeks, to blockade the deepest receffes of the most inacceffible part of the Island, where Jack, far remote from all human fociety, refided; but their undertaking was all in vain. Reeder and Sam, tired with this mode of war, refolved on proceeding in search of his retreat, and taking him by storming it, or perishing in the attempt. They took with them a little boy, a proper spirit, and a good shot, and left the reft of the party. These three had not been long separated from their companions, before their cunning eyes difcovered by impreffions among the weeds and bushes, that fome perfon must have lately been that way. They foftly followed these impreffions, and presently they faw a smoke. They prepared for war; and came upon Jack, before he perceived them. He was roafting plantains by a little fire on the ground, at the mouth of his cave. This was a fcene: not where ordinary actors had a common part to play. Jack's looks were fierce and terrible. He told them he would kill them. Reeder, instead of shooting, replied that his Obi had no power to hurt him; for he was christened and his name was no longer Quafhee. Jack knew Reeder, and, as if paralyzed, he let his two guns remain on the ground, and took up his cutlafs. These two had a fevere engagement, feveral years before, in the woods; in which conflict Jack loft his two fingers, which was the origin of his prefent name; but Jack then beat Reeder, and almost killed him with feveral others, that affifted him. To do THREEFINGERED Jack juftice, he would now have killed both Reeder and Sam; for at first fight they were frightened at the fight of him, and the dreadful tone of his voice-and well they might: They had no retreat, and were to grapple with the strongest and bravest man' in the world. But Jack was cowed; for he had prophefied, that white Obi would get the better of him; and from experience he knew, that the charm would lofe none of its strength in the hands of Reeder. Without farther parley, Jack with his cutlafs in his hand threw himself down a precipice at the back of his cave. Reeder's gun miffed fire; but Sam hot him in the fhoulder. Reeder, like a bull-dog, never * See his Treatise on Sugar. looked; but with his cutlafs plunged headlong down after Jack. The defcent was about ninety feet, and almoft perpendicular. Both of them had preferved their cutlaffes in the fall. Here was the ftage, on which two of the ftouteft hearts, that were ever hooped with ribs, began their bloody ftruggle. The little boy, who was ordered to keep back, now reached the top of the precipice, and, during the fight, fhot Jack in the belly. Sam was crafty, and coolly took a round-about way to come to the field of action. When he arrived at the fpot, where it began, Jack and Reeder had clofed and tumbled together down another precipice, in which fall they both loft their weapons. Sam defcended after them. Though without weapons, they were not idle; and luckily for Reeder, Jack's wounds were deep and defperate, and he was in great agony. Sam came up juft in time to fave Reeder; for Jack had caught him by the throat with his giant's grafp. Reeder was then with his right hand almoft cut off, and Jack, ftreaming with blood from his fhoulder and belly; both were covered with gore and gafhes. In this ftate Sam was umpire, and decided the fate of the battle. He knocked Jack down with a piece of rock. When the lion fell, the two tygers got upon him, and beat his brains out with ftones. The lit tle boy foon after found his way to them. He had a cutlafs, with which they cut off Jack's head and three-fingered hand, and took them in triumph to Morant Bay. There they put their trophies into a pail of rum; and, followed by a vaft concourse of negroes, now no longer afraid of Jack's Obi, blowing their fhells and horns, and firing guns in their rude method, they carried them to Kingston and Spanish Town, and claimed the rewards offered by the king's proclamation and house of affembly. The volume, now under confideration, circumftantially relates thefe facts, together with preceding adventures. Though written in epistles, it has much of the form and manner of a drama. The ftory of Makro and Amri, the parents of Jack, is told with fingular felicity; and reprefents for indignation and odium the abominable cruelty, which is practifed by the flave-merchant in Africa. There are a few poetical pieces interfperfed, which however are not the best part of the work. But the interefting method of the narrative, the vigorous fpirit, that enlivens it, and the humane fentiments, that abundantly enrich it, cannot fail, we think, of giving a high degree of pleafure to readers of almost every description. The Beauties of Church Mufic; and the Sure Guide to the Art of Singing, &c.-By WILLIAM COOPER.-Publifhed by MANNING and LORING, Boflon, 1804. FOR feveral years past, numerous works of this kind have been introduced to the public, each of which, containing nearly the fame materials of the others, has brought no claim to preference by any interesting improvement. The principal merit, that each compiler can reasonably pretend, confifts in his inferting a fmall number of new tunes, and in arranging and varying, ex mutilating others, which have long before been published in many different collections; and likewife in his invention of a fpecious title, graced with a new motto from Dr. Watts or the Bible. This compilation of Mr. Cooper is, however, in our opinion, very worthily entitled "The Beauties of Church Mufic." The tunes in general are well felected, and fome of them are corrected with a judicious tafte. Among thefe, we perceive eleven original pieces, which justly deferve infertion in a book of this title; and the whole are printed with extraordinary accuracy. The brevity of the introduction, a fault common to all thefe works, is, we prefume, a subject of regret to the untutored learnWe would recommend to Mr. Cooper an amplification of this in his next edition. An illustration of the DIATONIC and CHROMATIC SCALES with their CHORDS would also enhance the value of this book, by facilitating the acquifition of the principles of Mufic. MONTHLY CATALOGUE OF New Publications in the United States, for February, 1804. NEW WORKS. A brief Retrofpect of the Eighteenth Century, part first, in two vols. containing a sketch of the revolutions and improvements in science, arts, and literature, during that period, by SAMUEL MILLER, A. M. one of the Minifters of the United Prefbyterian Churches in the city of New-York.-T. & J. Swords-New-York. This Author in the opinion of Dr. Prieftly, is one of the most promifing characters of this country; he has been generally known as a very clegant and accomplished preacher. The prefent work fhews a fund of erudition, gives equal credit to his induftry and genius; and is a moft ufeful publication. Such a work is mentioned as a defideratum in Europe. It is an excellent book for focial libraries. An analytical review of this Retrofpect we hope we fhall foon be able to offer to the readers of the Monthly Anthology. Vol. 1. Part 2. of New-York Term Reports, of Cafes argued and determined in the Supreme Court of Judicature of that State.-H. CARRITAT-New-York. Debates in the House of Reprefentatives, on the Bills for carrying into effect the Louifiana Treaty.-J. Conrad & Co.-Philad NEW EDITIONS. Johnfon's Dictionary in Miniature, printed on a fine paper, with a beautiful pearl type-W. P. & L. Blake-Bofon. The Peafant's Fate; a Rural Poem, with Mifcellaneous Poems, by WILLIAM HALLOWAY.-Bonfal & Niles-Philadelphia. Plutarch's Lives, tranflated by Dr. LANGHORN, 6 vols. 12mo. -J. Hoff, and others, Philadelphia. *see his Letters to Linn. The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society; a Poem, with Philofophical Notes, by ERASMUS DARWIN, M. D. F. R. S. M. & J. Conrad, and others-Philadelphia. Chain of the Heart, or, The Slave by Choice; an historical mufical drama; by PRINCE HOAR, Efq.-D. Longworth-N.York. A Pocket Confpectus of the London and Edinburgh Pharmacopoeias; by ROBERT GRAVES, M. D.-J. Humphreys-Philadelphia. LITERARY ADVERTISEMEMTS. MR. CALEB BINGHAM, of Boston, has now in the press, and will shortly publish an edition of LOGAN'S SERMONS. This Author is much celebrated in North Britain. His poems are among the sweetest strains of the Scottish bards. In his lectures and fermons he unites the beauties of compofition with the pureft fervor of devotion. We rarely fee in the fame writer fuch glowing imagery and rational views of religion; fuch pious effufions mingled with the best moral fentiments, as we find in these useful and interesting difcourfes. There has been a rapid fale of four editions printed in Europe. We learn this is the first American impreffion Meffrs. B. J. and R. Johnson, of Philadelphia, propose to publish by fubfcription a BEAUTIFUL EDITION of felect BRITISH POETS from the text of the best editors, with the biographical and critical prefaces of Dr. Samuel Johnson, and the didactic effays, or preliminary criticism of Dr. John Aikin. They intend, that this edition fhall be printed, as nearly as practicable, in volumes of about 216 pages, 18mo. on fuperfine wove medium paper. The type fhall be new, and handfome, and the typography by the best printers in Philadelphia. Each volume fhall have an elegant engraving, executed by the first artists in the United States. They compute that the poetry, which may be thought worthy a place in this edition, will make about one hundred volumes. MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. COLUMBIAN MUSEUM. (Continued from Page 144.) ONLY about eight months have elapfed, fince the COLUMBIAN MUSEUM has been RE-ESTABLISHED, (in Milk-Street.)—The building is of brick, spacious, and well adapted:-The new collection, though not equal to the old, bids fair in time to rival it. We are thus happy to behold the Phenix, rifing from the afbes of its mother, refrefbed and invigorated! Among the elegant Paintings, Wax Figures. Natural Curiofities, Statuary, &c. now exhibited in the Museum, we notice the following: Elegant Paintings.-The battles of Alexander the Great, copied from the celebrated Le Brun; a full length painting of the late Gen. Washington, copied from one of Stuart's originals; two Flemish pieces; Hurricane; Architecture; Bacchanalian Party; Shipwreck; the Five Senses; Hunting Piece; a variety of elegant landscapes and portraits; St. Anthony; St. John; Holy Family; Travelling Muficians; Merry Hollanders; Travelling Pedlar; Musical Family; Meeting of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra; Marriage of do.; view of Hyde-Park, London; Venus and Cupid; the Young Naturalifts; Children at play; Colouring and Invention; a Tiger; fifteen elegant Views of the East-Indies, painted from Nature; Emperor and Emprefs of China; ancient Free-Mafons; Lion, Lionefs and Whelps; large and elegant View of the natural Bridge in Virginia; the last Family interview of the late King of France; Death of Lord Chatham, &c. (To be continued.) |