The water, therefore, contains no iron, no lime, no neutral falt, no fixed air, no other acid. III. Corrofive fublimate of mercury fuffers a decompofition, and the precipitate is yellowish. Acetated folution of lead is inftant ly made turbid, and the mixture becomes white. Green vitriol foon depofits an ochreous fediment. Soap unites very well with the water, and makes a good lather: they fay that washing and bleaching are more nicely effected by this, than by the fuds and wetting of common wa ter. It feems, by thefe experiments, that the Pool contains fome alkaline matter, though the quantity is fo fmall that the water is not rendered unfit for culinary purposes. IV. The spring is a Therme, and there is plenty of lime-ftone in its neighbourhood. Its warmth is fo confiderable that during the coolness of the morning, even in Auguft, copious vapours are emitted by the Pool and the ftream which iffues from it, for a confidera- But the evaporated matter has no From all which particulars, taken MAHOME T.—A DREAM. STamufed bell, I amufed myself in contemplating the proud and foaming billows that dafhed with fury against the fandy beach. One while they rushed with impetuofity, as if about to devour the earth; another while they retired at the command of that Being who has written upon the fhore, "Thus far fhalt thou go, and no farther." There had been thrown out upon the fand an oyster, which the most fwelling and impetuous furge could not recover: upon its opening a little to the fun, as if to refresh itself with his rays, I obferved fomething sparkling within; and looking more attentively, I discovered that what had bell, with a tongue of pearl, infcrib- All at once a most dazzling fpec- I fell 1 I fell proftrate on the earth, covering my face with my hands; but a foft and majestic voice calling me, I raised myself up, and beheld a youth of exquifite beauty. His fair hair was tied gracefully behind; a turban of an azure colour furrounded his brows; and his robe, of a dazzling white, was tucked up with knots of gold. "The Ancient of days, (faid he), that Being who weighs the ocean in the hollow of his hand, has deigned to fend me to fatisfy your requests." Immediately a temple of alabafter, in form of a rotunda, was raised around me; and a voice addressed me thus: "Name, then, among the children of men, and of thofe who are destined to inherit eternal day, him whom you wish to fee." Several illuftrious perfonages crowded upon my memory; Sefoftris, Abraham, Alexander, Cæfar, Charlemagne, Cromwell, &c. &c. when, in my confusion, I named aloud, "Mahomet." Inftantly his fhade arofe from the pavement of the temple, and I viewed at leifure the founder of the Muffulman religion and power, the conqueror of Mecca and Arabia, and the fortunate hufband of fo many handfome women. He had an air of authority, a majestic countenance, and moft expreffive eyes. "Why," faid I to him," did you fet yourfelf up for a prophet? wherefore did you thus impofe upon mankind?"-Mahomet darted a stern look at me, and I was ftruck with his grandeur. He was filent; but his filence was that of dignity and difdain. He had a book under his arm, and he trampled upon a fword, as if afhamed of ever having employed it. But his book feemed dear to him; and there fparkled from it a luminous ray, which convinced me that it was full of that Deity whofe power and glory it fo awfully announced. I addreffed him again: "Why have you abufed the credulity of your countrymen? Why have you pretended to revelations ?" A folemn voice, proceeding from a lofty column of fine jafper, anfwered me in the following words : "Accufe not a great man who has been revered by fo confiderable a part of the world, and who has fo much contributed to the deftruction of idolatry. Do you know what is contained in this book? Ill-grounded calumny may charge a great perfonage with imaginary crimes; but can it combat the universal respect of nations, or can it annihilate the veneration which has lafted for fo many ages? His precepts, yet living, and fpread over a vaft furface of the globe, were established by the power of great abilities. Yes, fuch a legiflator, perceiving that mankind would certainly reject the authority of one like themfelves, found it neceffary to have recourfe to heaven for the precepts he wished to inculcate upon earth. Beware therefore of blaming him, or of giving him the appellation of knave or impoftor: his fage and ufeful laws are the expreffion of the divine will; fo far from offering prejudice to men, they perfuade them to their true interefts. And as the whole univerfe affords conviction of a fapreme intelligence, who has eftablifhed moral as well as phyfical laws, this great man exhibits himself as the herald or enlightened interpreter of thefe divine laws: he reveals them with a tone of majefty correfponding to their importance; he establishes civil police on a religious foundation, a foundation facred and neceflary; and his authority is founded on the dignity and integrity of his caufe. "If the ancient legiflators have mixed fables and reveries with important and fublime truths, it was only for the purpose of making the latter pafs. Time, circumstances, and the very nature of the human mind, always fond of the marvellous, may each of them force a legiflator to embellifh his morality and religion with the charms of fable: The former may be considered as the body, and is fufceptible of various modifications without danger; the other is the real foul of this religious establishment. "Ceafe then, ye blind mortals; ceafe to rank among impoftors thofe enlightened benefactors of the human race, because they have conformed themfelves to its foibles, and have left behind them fome unavoidable errors, in order to make their useful doctrines and morals more readily adopted! Thofe errors were not fabricated by them, but by a blind multitude in a more early period: a religion purely metaphyfical, could not have been understood at that time, nor perhaps could it be understood even at this day. "Be juft then, ye weak mortals, and give thanks to those who first taught the idea of a Divinity who obferves all our actions; and who, according to them, will difpenfe a just retribution; to thofe who have instituted certain days for bringing mankind together, and for uniting them in fociety; who have forbidden murder, robbery, and injustice; have brought to light that fublime and confolatory doctrine, the immortality of the foul; eftablished the rights of fepulture; who have recommended charity, refpect for parents, the obligation of oaths, and a lawful fubordination of ranks; in a word, who IN have laid down a fyftem of morality, to which even at the present day nothing could be added, and which more than all other sciences bears the impreffion of the one fupreme image of the eternal will. "It would be difficult to dec de to what extent a man, who wanted, even in these more enlightened days, to propagate a new fyftem of religion, might avail himself of the engine of enthusiasm and the marvellous. His method would be tedious and uncertain, if he proceeded by means of conviction only; but if he laid hold of the imagination in fome bold and ftriking manner, perhaps he would inftantly bring about an ufeful revolution. And tell me, who is the man that would not pardon, in a modern legiflator, a little innocent deceit, that might be neceffary in promulgating among the ignorant, fuperftitious, and harbarous people, a code of laws founded on realon, wifdom, and benevolence?" The voice then ceafed. Mahomet, ftill filent and immoveable, with difdain in his countenance, gave me a look expreffive of his fuperiority, and with placid dignity re-entered the earth. Immediately the temple with its dome difappeared. I awaked from my dream, fully determined upon fending to my neighbour Doctor Lavater, the great phyfiognomift, a sketch of the armed prophet, the author of the Koran. Great men anciently were authors and fometimes fovereigns. O, my countrymen, what glorious times were these! For the NEW-YORK MAGAZINE. HISTORICAL SCRAPS, relating to the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, efpecially New-York, not many years after its first fettlement by the white people. N 1660 the town of Bufwick, on ftrong palifades, on account of the Long-Ifland, was begun, and in Indians. 1662 it contained already twenty-five. houles. At this time all the towns in the ftate were furrounded with In 1662 the town of Bergan was begun to be built: that and Gamonapa were mostly settled by disbanded foldiers, foldiers. Hence we may account for thofe peculiar cufioms, and that rufticity of manners they have retained even to this day. In 1664 the people out of NewEngland came against many of the fmall townships, poffeffed by the Dutch, in New-York ftate, driving fome out of their poffeffions, and perfuading others to join the English government. Even on Long-Ifland, where they erected the British colours, they told the inhabitants that they knew of no New-Netherland; that all the country belonged to the English, but that they were willing to enter into a treaty. That the right to the country might be enquired into, it was agreed by the Dutch to fend commiffioners to Bofton, who were there received by four companies of foot and one hundred horfe; but the New England people kept back the treaty, and, in the mean time, perfuaded feveral of the towns on Long-Ifland to revolt. Hempfted, although fettled by the English, remained faithful to the Dutch, so alfo did Flushing, but Gravefend declared in favour of the English. In the mean time the commiffioners returned without doing any thing. The Director-General, Styverfant, was one of the commiffioners. The colony of Hartford (now ftate of Connecticut) protefted against any power in the other three colonies, Bofton, New-Plymouth, and NewHaven, to transfer any right to lands claimed by the firft; and that they knew of no New-Netherland; that the lands had all been granted to them by the English. The Dutch, in a long remonftrance, figned by John Tenhove, in behalf of the Weft-India Company, complained loudly against this proceeding of the English; and pictured in warm colours the diftrefs a great many of the inhabitants suffered by being drove from their farms, which they had improved for twenty, thirty and forty years. They requefted that the limits of the poffelfions of the Dutch might be fixed, and prayed, that if it could be brought about their boundaries along the coaft might be fixed at the lat. 41° 30', and 37° 30', and fo in-land as far as they could go. Nothing was done towards fettling this matter, as there were other difputes at that time fubfifting between England and the United States of Holland nearer home, which encouraged the English to fend a few fhips of war, with troops, under the command of Sir Robert Carr and Col. Nicolls, to New-York, who obliged the Dutch to furrender the place to the crown of Great-Britain the 27th of August, 1664. The articles of furrender are figned by, J. de Decker, Robert Carr, Sam. Magopelenfes, John Winthrop, Ol. S. Courtlandt, Samuel Willis, N. Nerlet, Geo. Cartright, Corn. Steenwyck, Thomas Clark, Jaques Coufeau. John Pinborne. I agree to thefe articles, (Signed,) ROBERT NICOLLS. The foregoing is an extract of a tranflation made from pamphlets called the Holland Mercury, which were published at Amfterdam in the years 1662, 1663, and 1664. The tranflator has collected a number of curious hiftorical extracts from the old Dutch and English authors, relating to the difcovery and first fettlement of thofe ftates, and in particular of New-York; and as he proposes (if God fpares his life) to collect every thing of the kind he can, and to publifh the fame from time to time in the Magazine, that they may ferve as a compilation towards forming a hiftory of this country from the earlieft times, he will efteem it as a particular favour to have the loan of any Dutch or English books that contain materials materials for that purpose. If they are left at T. and J. Swords' printing-office, No. 27, William-ftreet, a receipt will be given for them by IT the compiler, with a promise to return the books again to the owner in a fhort time. COLUMBUS. New-York, Sept. 12, 1791. MOUSE. For the NEW-YORK MAGAZINE. The TIPLING T has been afferted by fome amateurs of natural hiftory, that in their walk there is nothing little; and that the convolutions of a polype, and the fpouting of a whale, are alike important. To readers of this clafs the following facts may not appear altogether trivial.— During the laft harvest, I kept the rum which I provided for my labourers in a keg which held fix or eight gallons, and took care to have the bung well stopped, leaving a vent hole fcarce large enough to admit a ftraw. Very early one morning, as I was pouring the fpirits out of the keg into a flafk, I was furprized by feeing a moule fitting on the cork which stopped the bung-hole, with his head at the vent aperture, and ITH Continuation of Mifcellaneous Tis commonly fuppofed that there is no poor's tax in the United Provinces. There is indeed no tax levied directly under that name: but there is a certain proportion of the other taxes appropriated to that purpofe; and of late an additional impoft has been laid on the confumption of wine in cities for the fame end. The principal dependence, however, is on the collections in churches, and on a quarterly collection which is made from house to houfe by appointment of the magiftrates. The collection in the churches is made in the time of divine fervice, when the deacons, during an interval which is managed for the purpose, go about to every individual with a bag at the within a few inches of my face. I had a quill in my hand, and with it flightly touched his back; upon which he rolled off the cafk upon the floor, and, in his aukward attempts to efcape, manifefted every appearance of intoxication. I killed him by crushing him with the cafk. He appeared neither fick or emaciated; but undoubtedly got drunk by taking the fume of the liquor which arofe through the fmall opening before mentioned. Till this incident took place, it was believed that man alone was guilty of deliberate inebriation, but now it appears that he fhares the infamy with a mouse! August, 1791. R. Obfervations on HOLLAND, |