QL\)t Jarmcv's iHontl)lt! bisitor. 



99 



the woilil. It is (lividi'd into fniii- solid squares, drums, rousing up the ganison from its dreaui 

 having but two streets cro.ssinf; its ceiitri; at ri^'ht 

 aii'iles. All the huilcliiigs are two stories hi^^li, 



••v^oMiposed of siiii-hunit liiic-U. 'I'lie tirst story 



" (ireseuts u solid wall to the street, and is so con- 

 structed that each house joins, until oiie-fomth 

 of the city may he said to Ik; one huildiufr. The 

 second stories rise iVoni this vast solid structure, 

 so as to designate each house, leaving room to 



, walk upon the roof of the (irst story between 



' each building. The iiihahiiiinis of Suniai enter 

 the second story of thi'ir buildings by lailders, 

 which they draw up at night, as a defence against 

 nny enemy tliat might be prowli'ig about. In 

 this city were seen some thirty .Alliino Indians, 

 who have, no (loid)t, given rise to the story that 



^here is living in the Kocky mountains a trilie of 

 while id)origiiies. The discovery of this city 

 of the Sumai will affonl the most cmious specu- 

 lations among those who h.ive so long searched 

 in vain for a city of the Indians, who possessed 

 the manners and habits of the Aztecs. No doubt, 

 •.vt; have here a race living as did that people, 

 w hen Cortez (Mitered Mexico. It is a remarkable 

 fact, that theSiunaians have, since the Spainards 

 led the country, refused to have any intercourse 

 wilh^he modern [Mexicans, looking upon them 

 as an iiderior people. They have also driven 

 from among thcin the priests and other dignita- 

 ries, who formerly ha<l power over them, and re- 

 sumed habits and manners of their own — their 

 (Jreat Chief, or Governor, b ing the civil and re- 

 ligious heail. I'lie coiuitry round the city of Su- 

 mai is cnllivLxled with a great deal of care, and 

 aftords food not oidy for the iidiahitants, but for 

 large flocks of cattle and sheep." 



^$tormiDg of Stony Point. 



BV J. T. HEVULEV. 



[Washington, at U'aj'ne'a request, had organized a corps 

 of ngtit iiilantry, and put hiin over it, with directions to 

 lake this stronghrild Six hundred veteran troops garri- 

 Boned the rock, sutficient, one would think, lo defend it 

 acainst five times the number. On the 15th ofJuly, 1779, 

 Wayne started from Sandy Beach, Courleen miles distant, 

 and at eight in the evening arrived within a mile and a 

 f all' of the fortress.] 



^ 'Over hills, across morasse.--, and along the bro- 

 ken shores of the Hudson, he had led his little 

 uriiiy noiselessly, in Indian file, and now waited 

 foi' the deepening night to lock his enemies in 

 Bliiiriber. Still imdiscovered by the garrison, he 

 began to reconnoitre the works more closely, and 

 nt half-past eleven put his columns in motion. — 

 He divided his army into two portions, one of 

 which was to enter the fortress on the right, and 

 the other on the left. In advance of each, went 

 a forlorn hope of twenty men, to remove the 

 piles of rubbish that were stretched in double 

 rows around the rock, and placed just where the 

 butteries coidd mow down the assailants fastest. 

 Behind these forlorn hopes marched two compa- 

 nies of a hundred and fifty men each. Wayne 

 knew that every thing must rest on the bayonet ; 

 and BO he ordered the load of evfiy nui^ket of 

 those two cotnpanies to be drawn, while the first 

 man who should take his from his shoulder or 

 utter a word without order-s or attempt to re- 

 treat, was to be put to death by the officer near- 

 est him. Silently these devoted bands sidimitted 

 to the desperate ineasmes, and fixing a piece of 

 white paper in front of their caps to distinguish 

 them from the enemy, gallantly moved forward 

 at the low word of command. At midnight the 

 Jtwo columns, headed by their forlorn hopes, came 

 in sight of the fortress, along whose damp ram- 

 jiarls the sentinel was lazily treading bis accus- 

 tomed round, while the deep " All's well !" fell 

 faintly on the listening ear. Grim and still the 

 huge black rock loomeil up against the sky, soon 

 to shake with its own thunder, and stand a blazing 

 '-jolcano in the midnight heavens. Noiseless and 

 swift the fearless patriots kept on their way, when 

 |o! as they came to the marsh, they saw only a 

 smooth sheet of watei' — the tide was flooding the 

 whole ground. 'i"he brave fellows paused a mo- 

 Jneiil, as this new and unexpected obstacle cross- 

 ed their path, but at the stern " forward" of their 

 leaders, they boldly phiiiged in, and without drum 

 or bugle note to clieer their steady courage, mov- 

 ed in dead silence straight on tiie palisades. The 

 noise had now alarmed the sentinels, and the 

 rapid discharge of their muskets through the 

 gloom, was followed by lights, moving swiftly 

 about upon the rampart.-', and hurried shouts of 

 '•To.lrms! To,hms!" and the fierce roll of 



of security. The next moment that dark rock 

 was one mass of flame, as the artillery and mus- 

 ketry opened Jiloiig its sides, shedding a lurid light 

 on tlie countenances of the men below, aut\"M- 

 vitnce .' Jldvance!" rung in startling accents along 

 the ranks. 



The ramparts were alive with soldiers, and 

 arnid shouts ami hurried words of command, the 

 fiery torrent from the summit kept rolling on these 

 devoted men. 'I'he water around them was driv- 

 en into spray by the grape-shot and balls that fell 

 in an im'essaiit sliowei', while the hissing, burst- 

 ing shells, traversing the air in every direction, 

 added inconceivable terror to the scene. Yet 

 these forlorn hopes toiled vigorously on, ami heav- 

 ed away at the ahiittis lo open a gap for the col- 

 unms, that without returning a shot, stood and 

 crumbled ntider the file, waiting with fixed bayo- 

 nets to rush to the assault. At the head of one 

 of these was Wayne, chafing like a lion in the 

 toils, at the obstacles that arrested his progiess. 

 The forlorn hope in front, of him worked steadily 

 on in the very iilazeof the batteries, and the rap- 

 id blows of their axes were hearil in the inteivals 

 of the thunder of artillery that shook the mid- 

 night !iir, while one after another dropped dead 

 in his footsteps, till out of the twenty that started 

 only three stood up unharmed. Yet still their 

 axes fell steady and strong, until an opening was 

 made, through which the columns could pass, and 

 then the shout of Wayne was heard aliove the 

 din and tumult, summoning his followers on. — 

 With fixed bayonets,tliey marched sternly through 

 the portals made at such a noble saci ifice, and 

 pressed furiously forv\ aid. Through the nioiass, 

 — over every obstacle — up to the mouths of the 

 cannon, and up the rocky acclivity they stormed 

 on, crushing every thing in their passage. Tow- 

 ering 111 the head of his shattered cobiinn, point- 

 ing slill onward and upward with his glittering 

 blade, and sending his thrilling shout back over 

 his followers, Wayne strode steadily up the height, 

 till al length, struck in the head by a musket ball, 

 he fell hack amid the ranks. Instantly rising on 

 one knee, he cried out, "March on! Carry me to 

 the fort, for I ivili die at the head of my column!" 

 And those heroes put their brave arms around 

 him, and bore him onward. Not a shot was fired, 

 but taking the rapid volleys on their unshrinking 

 breasts, their bayonets glittering in the flash of 

 the enemy's guns, they kept on over the living 

 and the dead, smiting down the veteran ranks 

 that threw themselves in vain valor befine ihem, 

 till they reached the centre of the fort, where they 

 met the other column, which, over the snnie ob- 

 stacles, had won the same triumph. At the sight 

 of each other, one loud shout shook the heights 

 and rolled down the bleeding line — was again 

 sent liack, till the heavens rung with the wild' 

 Imzziis, and then the flag of freedom went up and 

 flaunted proudly on the midnight air. The thick 

 volumes of smoke that lay around that rock, slow- 

 ly lifted and rolled up the Hudson, the stars ap- 

 peared once more in the sky, and all was over. 

 The lindly river went sweeping by as it had done 

 during the deadly strife that cast such a baleful 

 li;;lit on its bosom, and darkness and death-like 

 silence shrouded the shores. Mournfully and 

 slow those forlorn hopes and their brave com- 

 panions who had fallen in the assault, were 

 brought up from their gory beds and conveyed to 

 the grave.* 



Wayne's wound jiroved not to be severe — the 

 ball having only grazed the skull for two inches, 

 and he lived lo wear the laurels a grateful nation 

 placed on his hrow'. The country rung with his 

 name, and congress presented him willi a gold 

 medal. The whole plan of the assault was most 

 skilfully laid, and the hearing of Wayne througli- 

 oui, gallant in the extreme. His troops were 

 worthy of such a leader, and more gallant ofii- 



cers never led men into battle. Their 1 laniiy 



was eijual to their bravery ; for, notwiihslanding 

 the barbarous massacres (lerpeirated by tlie Eng- 

 lish, they did not kill a single man after he ask- 

 ed for ipiarter. 



'fieut. (iibbons commanded one of the forlorn hopes 

 and Knox the other. 



To Soften Old Putty.— Put soap on the 

 putty for a short lime. Panes of glass may ea- 

 sily be removed by the application of soft soap for 

 a few hours, liowevcr hard the putty has become. 



The Chinese nechnnic Arts and Social liire. 



The implements of the Chinese, says Mr. Wil- 

 liams, though less heautifid than those preserved 

 liom the ruins of Rome, are more useful. They 

 have made th(;m snflicient to subserve the com- 

 mon purposes of lifi-, and at so low a price as lo 

 he universally accessible. For a long time they 

 have made no improvements. The descriptions 

 of Marco Polo are still applicable, so that though 

 they were beliire the English of KiOO, they are 

 very far behind the nations of the West now. 



Agriculture is fostered by government as a 

 means of its own security ; for farmers are iso- 

 lated and contented. The pursuit is honored by 

 the Emperor in an annual- ploughing ceremony 

 at Pekin. The lands are held fioni him in small 

 lot.x, iM)t in fee siiriple, but as security for the pay- 

 ment of taxes. They descend to the eldest son, 

 but the brothers may also settle upon them, so 

 that subdivision is carried to a great extent. The 

 principal grain crop of the country is rice. It is 

 sown so thick as to make a dense turf, which is 

 transplanted to the field, which, has been in the 

 mean time irrigated and prepared for it. The 

 first crop is harvested in July, the second in No- 

 vember. Wheat, millet and buckwheat are rais- 

 ed as in other countries. 'J'hcir implements of 

 husbandry are very simple. A man may be of- 

 ten seen carrying plough, harrow, and buftalo 

 harness, together, on his back. The farms are 

 without fences, the dykes used for irrigation be- 

 ing the principal landmarks. 



The other labors of agriculture are the culti- 

 vation of cotton and of ibe mulberry for gar- 

 ments, and tea for exporlation. The Emperor 

 honors the culture of silk by an annual ofl'ering 

 of mulberry leaves to the patron goddess of the 

 silk manufacture. 



The fine porcelain comes mostly liom the prov- 

 ince of Kiang-tzi : the common chinaware from 

 several other [uovinces. It is made into many 

 ornaments of beautiful form.s. In their gardenu 

 the wealthy delight to display many of these va- 

 ses of large size; some are sunken in the earth, 

 and filled up with limestone and sand, which is 

 soon covered with moss, and bears the ajipear- 

 ance of a natural rock. 



They have very little skill in working metals. 

 Their chasing in gold and silver is, however, ele- 

 gant and unsurpassed. In carving they take the 

 lead in some respects ; the granite posts before 

 the temples are sculptured with historic scenes, 

 two or three inches deep, and quite perfect. The 

 lackered ware is made by coating wood with the 

 vnrnish of the lacker tree, colored with lamp- 

 black and embellished by gilding. The manu- 

 facture of lanterns is an extensive business in a 

 fountry where they are so much used; they are 

 made with a great variety of designs and orna- 

 nfents. Their lanq) oil is obtained from the lea 

 and peanut. 



The Chinese are without inventive genius, but 

 are good imitators. Already they have begun to 

 appropriate English inventions. In the manu- 

 facture of glassware they have been so success- 

 ful as to drive the foreign article from the market. 

 In the late war they used thirty brass cannon 

 which they had made alter a cannon taken from 

 a wrecked ship. They are now making pistols, 

 fowling pieces and musket.s, clocks and watches. 

 A thirty-six gun frigale, constructed by a Chinese 

 shipwright, was considered by foreigners, as quite 

 creditable and seaworthy. 



They have no knowledge of anatomy oi' phy- 

 siology ; and their medical theory is therefore 

 wholly empirical, though their practice is im- 

 proved by observation. They suppose that dis- 

 eases are caused by evil spirits, and their practice 

 is directed to their expulsion. They stop eating 

 and working, and use vegetable medicines most- 

 Iv. The patient bargains beforehand about the 

 price and time of cure. They vaccinate in both 

 arms since 1820, and used to inoculate in the nose. 

 They pmctise no more important surgical opera- 

 tions than teeth pulling and cupping. 



Their music, like their medicine, is peculiar. 

 Their singing is a kind of falsetto, produced by 

 closing the glottis and forcing air through the 

 nose ; and Mr. W. never heard niiui, woman or 

 child sing in any other mtinner. They use a va- 

 riety of wind and stringed instruments and drums, 

 with which they tnake execrahli; music, keeping 

 good lime, hut without the least harmony: to a 

 foreigner it is men; din and confusion. They 

 have no knowledge of dancing, and when they 



