68 



T H E i' A K M £ R ' S M O N r H L Y V I S li O R 



May, 1842. 



eis so that they may become mutual helpers to 

 each other— the body sustaining and invigorating 

 the mind, and the mind, in return, imparting 

 cheerfulness and elasticity to the body ? Tl»e 

 proposed institution, it is thought, will combine 

 these advantages in an eminent degree. 



Another point, to which the proposed school is 

 to direct its attention, is to qualify teacliors lor 

 common schools. This the committee consider 

 an important object. To the deficiencies of 

 teachers, more than to any other cause, perhaps, 

 may be ascribed the low state of our schools. — 

 Elevate the standard of their qualifications, and 

 the character of our schools at once rises. — 

 Teaching is almost the only art, or employinent, 

 in which a preparatory course of instruction and 

 discipline is not required. To acquire any of 

 the common trades, fully, an apprentieesl]ii» is 

 necessary; but the teacher is put to no such in- 

 convenience. If he has the usual quanlum of lit- 

 erary attainments the question is not often asked 

 whether he is " apt to teach ?" — whether he can 

 govern a school tlirougli any other principle than 

 that of fear? — or whether iiis knowledge of hu- 

 man nature, in its various aspects, is sufficient to 

 enable him to discriminate between the various 

 dispositions of his scholars and to vary his disci- 

 pline accordingly ? These, and other similar 

 questions, are not thought of either by the teach- 

 ers or those who employ them. This deficiency,it 

 is thought, may be remedied by the establishment 

 of schools for the special purpose of instructing 

 teachers in all the duties to which they may be 

 called by their important employment. Hence 

 in Massachusetts three schools have been institu- 

 ted for this sole purpose ; and the example is 

 worthy of imitation elsewhere. Could the plan 

 be fully carried out, in the present instance, there 

 is no doubt that the beneficial results would at 

 once be visible in the improvement of our prima- 

 ry schools. 



Deeply impressed with the correctness of thi.s 

 statement of the advantages to be derived from 

 the establishment of such a echooj, the commit- 

 tee are an.\iou:j that an effort be made by the A 

 sociation to overcome the obstacles that present 

 themselves at tlm outset. The principal of these 

 are, the difficulty of raising the requisite fund 

 and the indifference towards it of a large portion 

 ot the community. The magnitude of these 

 cannot be accurately estimated beforehand. — 

 Large as they appear in the distance, they may 

 dwindle into insignificance as we approach 

 them. The liberality of the donation siiould in- 

 duce corresponding efforts to give it effect. This 

 liberality and these efforts may call forth a dispo- 

 sition to "devise liberal things," and ensure suc- 

 cess beyond our most sanguine anticipations 



The committee therefore report for considera- 

 tion the accompanying resolutions. 



JON A. K. SMITH, for tJio Com. 

 January 25, 184'J. 



Resolved, That it is expedient to accept (he do- 

 nation of John Connnt, Esq., of his farm in Jaf- 

 frey, agreeably to the terms of his written offer. 



Resolved, That measures be immediately taken 

 to raise the funds necessary for the establish- 

 ment of an agricultural School at Jaffrcy. 



Resolved, That a committee bo raised to ])ro- 

 cure an Act of Incorporation at the next session 

 of the Legislatine. 



I-'rom Hunt's Merchants' Magazine for May. 

 Capture of a British Merchantman. 



(An Incident of the Revolutionary War of 1776 J 

 The following incident is related by 3Irs. Ad- 

 ams, utider date of "Braintree, Mass., April 7th, 

 1776," in one of those very interesting letters to 

 her husband, the late venerable John Adams,one 

 of the leaders of the revolution, and afterwards 

 President of the United Stales :— 



" Yesterday, was taken into Cohasset, by throe whale 

 boats which went from the shore on purpose, a snow from 

 the Grenadas, ladened with 125,000 pounds cofiee, -U 

 barrels of sugar and 35t. puncheons of rum— a valuable 

 prize." 



The capture of this vessel at an early period of 

 the war, was thus related a few years ago, by one 

 of the survivors, Mr. Luther Barnes, of Hingham, 

 since dead. 



.\ young man of Boston, just then a graduate 

 of Harvard College, being at the time spoken of 

 ■en a gunning excursion to Cohasset, a little village 

 »ifnr tlie seashore, about twenty iiiih-s tVoin Bos- 



ton, descried at an early hour of the morning a 

 British vessel in the offing, deeply laden, and 

 armed, but which had the appearance of being a 

 roe.rchantman. He attentively surveyed her with 

 a glass, i;nd perceiving but few irien astir, a 

 thought occmred to him that if instant means 

 were used, she might be surprised and captirred. 

 Of an ardent temperament, aird excited by the 

 .spirit of adventure, he hastened back to the vil- 

 lage, and roused from their beds^ight tnen whom 

 he knew, and in whom he could confide, and to 

 them communicated the discovery iie had made ; 

 his belief that she could be taken, and his pur- 

 pose ; together with an offer to lead them on to 

 the attack, if they would join him. The men 

 thus aroused, readily agreed to take a look at the 

 craft, and see what could be, done, and then to 

 determine whether or not to peril their lives in 

 the nndertakitig. Providing themselves hastily 

 with such weapons as were at hand, consisting of 

 ducking guns and fish spears, they litirried to the 

 quay ; and, on coming within sight of the vessel, 

 she vpas again carefully sin-veyed by every one 

 in tin-n with the glass. The sea was calm, for 

 at that hour the morning breeze had not yet 

 sprung up, and she was drifting out with the ebb 

 tide. 



A council was held, and after protnpt and quick 

 deliberation, all hands agreed to join in the ad- 

 venture, and attempt her capture, A whale-boat 

 lying on the beach was shoved through the surf 

 and maimed, a-nd the strictest silence being enjoin- 

 ed, off they rowed towards her; the young man 

 taking the helm. 



On coming within musket shot distance, her 

 ports were opetied, and a tier of tour guns on the 

 larboard side displayed ; a voice at the same time 



hailing them, " keeji off, you d d Yankee 



rebels, or we'll sink you !" The little band, noth- 

 ing daunted, quickly laid «[>on their oars, and 

 bent their bodies downward, as had been already 

 concerted, so that the first broadside might pass 

 over them ; intendinj, if they escaped destruction 

 from the fire, to board her in the smoke, before 

 lime was given to reload. After waiting in this 

 breathless and fearfid state of suspense a miinite 

 and 'no guns being fired, they again at the word 

 of connnand, sprung to their oars, and in a short 

 space of time, the little bark was shot rapidly 

 alongside, and irnder her guns. In another mo- 

 ment they had climbed up her sides, their fisl. 

 spears now served them for boarding pikes, and 

 gained possession of her deck, little or no resist- 

 ance being made. By this time the captain was 

 ascending the companion ladder, and learning 

 the fate of his vessel, stnrendered himself a pris- 

 oner. 



It appeared that he had made land about mid- 

 night, and believing from his proxiuiity to the 

 British fleet, (then riding at anchor in Boston 

 harbor, almost in sight,) that no danger was to 

 be apprelieoded, his usual vigilance had slumber- 

 ed, and part of the crew on the watch below had 

 not yet turned out. The captors w ere soon joined 

 by a reinforcement of men in two more boats, 

 and the jirize was towed into Cohasset harbor, 

 and at once uidaden. She proved to be the 

 British snow Industry, 250 tons biu-ilen, from To- 

 bago, bound to Boston, with a cargo of coffee, 

 sugar ami rum for the use of the British fleet. It 

 afforded a very ojiportuue supjjly for the colonies 

 of Massachusetts Bay, as the articles were then 

 much needed. 



The names of the captors were Colonel La- 

 throp, Seth Stoddard, H. Oakes, Luther Barnes, 

 Mr. Tower, and fom- others. The young man 

 who projected and led on the enterprise, was 

 Isaiah Doane, Esq., of Boston ; afterward a well- 

 known merchant of that citv, lone since deceas- 

 ed. ■ " D. 



Hon. Isaac Hill — DiiAR Sir: I have been a 

 reader of your -'Monthly" ever since its first 

 publication, and I think I can say, without inten- 

 tion to flatter, that it has been a source of profit 

 and pleasure to me. It has especially given me 

 an interest in the agricultural resources of my 

 common country, more than lever telt before. 1 

 have travelled and resided in different jKirts of 

 the Union, and have not been an idle observer, 

 altogether, of the labors and results of the farm- 

 ing community. But there are .some portions up- 

 on which I have formerly looked as worthless, 

 which now are of great value in my estimation. 

 I had resided on (^ipe Cod. a .9/n); o/" /ff(i(/. and 



had travelled a little in New Hampshire, before I 

 took iq) my residence in the flourishing, wealthy 

 Stale of Ohio. While witnessing the abundant 

 crops of corn and wheat, which were gathered 

 from the rich '• bottoms" of that State, with com- 

 paratively no labor, I used to wonder that any 

 young man, wlio looked to farming for a liveli- 

 hood, would consent to drudge lor a mere pit- 

 tance on the lands of the Cape, and rocky moun- 

 tains of New Hampshire, when such a rich, easy 

 country was open to him at the West. I confess, 

 I thought the Editor of the Visitor one side of the 

 mark when (in the 1st or 2nd vol. I believe,) he 

 set forth the farliimed West in rather a disparag- 

 ing light, as compared with "the Granite State." 

 But upon counting up the figures on all sides, I 

 feel obliged to kiioik under, and face in, with 

 some slight excel .lou?, with liis opinion. 



In Ohio, one huiuheil Imslicls of corn to the 

 acre is a large crop; auci so are forty bushels of 

 wheat. But up in the vicinity of Winnipisio- 

 gee Lake in New Hampshire over one hundred 

 and thirty bushels of corn to the acre have been 

 produced, and also over thirty bushels of wheat, 

 it is true, it takes more outlay in labor, dressing, 

 &c. in New Hampshire than in Ohio; but then 

 the crop brings a price as much larger as to pay 

 the difference. At the time that I lived in Oiiio, 

 corn was 20 and 25 cts. per bushel, and wheat 50 

 cents. In New Hampshire corn was at least 

 80 cts, and wheat Sl,,50. Suppose that where 

 they may raise 100 bushels of corn in Ohio, they 

 may get 75 bushels in N. H. by taking extra 

 pains ; and where they got 40 bushels of wheat in 

 the former State ; they may raise 25 bushels in 

 the latter. We will make a cast of figures and 

 see the difference: 



I.N Ohio. 

 100 bushels of corn at 25 cts. $25,00 



40 '• " wheat at 50 cts. 20,00 



$45,00 

 I.N New Hampshire. 



75 bushels of corn at 80 cts. 

 2.5 '• '■ wheat at $1,50 



amount to 



Ohio 



.S'97,50 

 45,00 



§52,50 



From this rough estimate, which I consider a 

 very fair one, we have a sufficient sum over 

 and above for N. H. to pay for extra labor, man- 

 ure, &c. 



In this comi>arison I have not noticed the su- 

 periority of "the Granite State" over "the Buck- 

 eye" on the score of health, schools, settled soci- 

 ety, &c. These should be taken into the account 

 by every person who proposes to emigrate to the 

 West. 



But I must close this protracted communica- 

 tion. I would not disparage Ohio. She is a 

 noble State. Her citizens possess a spirit of en- 

 terprize which Iain bound to believe she has in 

 a great measure derived from those sons of New 

 England who first settled down upon her soil. 

 P. 



May 16, 1842. 



(U°In the opinion of the Editor of the Visi- 

 tor, the saddest prospect of the West remains to 

 be revealed. In general w manure is applied to 

 the very fertile lands of that region, and the opin- 

 ion seems to prevail that no manure will ever be 

 necessary. It is a matter of absolute certainty, 

 that the best land will run down under a contin- 

 ual exhausting system of cropjiing. They say 

 one hundred bushels of corn to the acre are 

 raised on the best lands of the West. Two cen- 

 turies ago the lands of Virginia, South Carolina 

 and Georgia were as valuable as the lands in the 

 Western country — they were certainly as easy of 

 cultivation, and it is believed produced corn and 

 tobacco in as great quantities as the best lands in 

 the country. They have been cultivated with 

 e labor — they have been cropped year after 

 year without any care about improving the soil, 

 I the owners have lost the ability and ftie 

 means of inqirovement. In South Carolina, we 

 are told, the labor of the negroes is barely suffi- 

 cient lor their own subsistence. Fifteen bushels 

 of Indian corn to the acre is now thought to be an 

 uncommonly large crop in that State. It is with- 

 in our own recollection that South Carolina and 

 Gcorsia furnished almost the whole world with 



