limits of your valuable publication, were I to trace the probable cause of the great encrease of forgery: but, when the change of our currency from metal to paper is for a moment considered, no one can be at a loss for the cause. I do not mean to discuss the subject of Paper Currency; but assuming, that it is indispensably neces sary. I must be permitted to observe, that it is no less indispensably necessary to adopt some plan (many I believe have been of fered of reudering the commission of Forgery as difficult as possible! and if this be not done, it becomes, in fact, an inducement to the commission of the crime. What would be said, if men, whose houses contained valuable plate, &c. were to retire to rest at nights, with their doors and windows unfastened? Every observer would say, they deserved to lose their property! Nor am I sure that unless a door be forced open, a robbery committed under such circumstances, would be punishable of the peole. We should then find that HUMANITAS. AMERICANA. Improvement in Fire Engines and Pumps. The improvement here described, it is stated to us, is of great importance, and very effectual. We have reason to be lieve that a Patent has been taken out in with death!-aud it is stated to be as easy to imitate the notes which are now current, as it would be to rob an unfur-Britain for this invention; which, if it jusnished house. But, Sir, let those who have the means and the power to protect their property do so effectually; their neglect, I conceive, renders them morally answerable for the consequences, and thus they become accountable for every life sacrificed to their waut of due precaution. Permit me, Sir, to conclude these brief remarks with the following extract from the celebrated Dr. Goldsmith's admirable novel of the Vicar of Wakefield; it is so appropriate to the present subject, and expresses, so much better than I can do, my own sentiments, that I think no further apology will be necessary to its introduc tion here: tify report, will prove of no small advantage to mechanics and to the public. Two young Gentlemen of Charlestown, Mass. have recently taken out a patent for a new invention, which, as it is applicable provement in the method of raising water to many purposes, they denominate an Im and other fluids. Among the most important articles to which this invention can be applied, are fire engines and pumps. The mechanism is very simple, and has already been subjected to several experiments, the result of which is quite satisfactory. A fire engine constructed on the principles of this invention, is thought to possess the following advantages. It can be "When by indiscriminate penal laws a furnished at half the expense of any engine nation beholds the same punishment affixed heretofore used. It is worked with much to dissimilar degrees of guilt, from perceiv-less friction than the common engine, and ing no distinction in the penalty, the people are led to lose all distinction in the crime, and this distinction is the bulwark of all morality: thus the multitude of laws produces new vices, and new vices call for fresh restraints. "It were to be wished then, that power instead of contriving new laws to punish vice; instead of drawing hard the cords of society, till a convulsion come to burst them; instead of cutting away wretches as useless, before we have tried their utility; instead of converting correction into vengeance; it were to be wished, that we tried the restrictive arts of government, and made law the protector, but not the tyrant, of course needs less power to keep it in operation. It is easily kept in repair; and can be repaired or constructed originally by the common mechanics of a country village. It can be worked powerfully by half the number of men who are needed to work the common engine. Every one of these advantages is deemed quite important. The best common engines heretofore used cannot be put in operation without nearly a full complement of men; that is, from twelve to twenty, according to the size of the engine; whereas, by the aid of the engine now invented, two men can easily throw a steady column of water upon the roof of an ordinary two-story house, and four men upon the roof of an ordinary four story house. In a recent experiment, eight men threw three barrels of water 76 feet perpendicularly from the ground in a minute. It is supposed that this invention will en able the inhabitants of country villages, and the owners of manufacturing establishments, easily to supply themselves with a useful preservative against the loss of their property by fire. The usual objections against possessing fire engines in country villages, are these. 1. The great expense of the original purchase. 2. The frequency and expense of repairs. 3. The Becessity of sending them to a great distance to obtain the necessary repairs, as common mechanics are not sufficiently nice and skilful to meddle with the machinery. rowers. The great use in applying the same principle to pumps, consists in its enabling them to discharge water with great rapid ity. One of the pumps formed on this model, and worked by four men, discharged 365 gallons in a minute. In large ships, where many men could be employed at the pump, water could be raised from the hold with prodigious celerity. The easiest method of applying force with the human body, is by a horizontal motion, like that of This motion is easily applied to the pump in question. The great desiderata in pumps for ships, as stated in Rees' Cyclopedia, are-1. That as little power as possible should be lost in friction. 2. That the pump be not liable to leak or be ehoked. 3. That the water should be discharged as low as possible, and yet run off into the ocean. 4. That the pump should be so constructed that a great number of men may be employed in working it. All these advantages are supposed to be gained by the invention here noticed. Attention to the Native Indians. Our pages, from the very first, evince, that we have taken a lively interest in the welfare of our red Brethren. We know, that they have suffered much from their quondam brothers who came from the other side of the great water; and we could be glad to think that their sufferings might be effectually compensated. The attempt is honourable to American benevolence; and even Policy, truly understood, must approve it. The following is but one instance--the forerunner, we trust, of many more, patronized by the government, the good sense, and the piety of the nation. In September. 1816, our missionary, the Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury, made his first | visit to the Cherokees. Early in October he attended a general council of the chiefs of the Cherokees and Creeks, and laid before them the object of his mission. After consultation, a principal chief took him affectionately by the hand, and said, “You have appeared in our full council. We have listened to what you have said, and understand it. We are glad to see you. We wish to have the schools established, and hope they will be of great advantage to the nation." Another of the chiefs was appointed to go with Mr. Kingsbury, and select a suitable place for an establishment. Mr. Kingsbury is confident, that it would be highly gratifying to the Cherokees to have more schools established among them, and expresses a strong hope that the Board will soon be able to establish more. Should a considerable part of the nation, in consequence of the arrangement recently made for an exchange of lauds, remove to the west of Mississippi, the event, he thinks, should not be regarded as inauspicious; as a missionary establishment in that more distant region would be highly important, and would furnish many facilities for extending the Gospel over an immense wil derness. But the Cherokees are not the only tribe of Pagan Aborigines, which demands benevolent attention. Such information has been received, as strongly impresses the belief, that establishments, similar to the one now reported, would be very accept able to the Choctaws, Chickasaws and Creeks. Indeed, an ardent desire has been expressed by chiefs of these several tribes, and by government agents in them, that schools might be established among them. The Committee, have a strong and animating persuasion, that the time is come for a great and vigorous effort for bringing up, in part, the long and heavy arrears of our country to those poor and diminished tribes of our fellow beings, whose fathers once called their own the widely extended territories, over which our prosperous dwellings are now spread, and continually spreading. And they cherish will feel the generous impulse, and give, the hope, that all classes of the community with sacred emulation, their hearts and hands to the beneficent work. Want of competent Clergy. In our last, we hinted at the want of Churches in America: the want of able ministers to supply those Churches is not less. It has been the subject of a calcula tion equally curious and interesting to the certainty of bringing immeasurable evil upon society and individuals." If a collector should address this language to one of his neighbours, who was complaining of high taxes, we believe it would be hard to contradict him; and even if magistrates should be present, they would act wisely to Americans, themselves, no doubt, in the the violation of the law, in order to perfirst place, but to all philanthropists, every mit a multitude of their townsmen to enwhere who deserve that honourable appel-gage in the exalted employment of keeping lation. It has been estimated that 8,000 tippling shops; and this without any posministers would be no more than an ade-sible good to the community, and with the quate supply for the people of the United States: that the present number of competently educated ministers of all denominations does not exceed 2,000; and therefore that 6,000 more are wanted.-The estimate has been made on the principle of allowing one minister to every thousand souls. If we had now 8,000 ministers set-walk away in silence. tled in our country, and 2.000 missionaries employed in heathen hands; allowing to each settled minister 500 dollars, which exceeds, undoubtedly, the average salary of our present settled ministers; and to each missionary 666 dollars, the actual stipend of our married missionaries in India; the total expense of supporting the whole would be 5,335,000 dollars: less than a sixth part of what is annually expended in our country for ardent spirits! Might not one sixth part of the expense for ardent spirits well be spared from that enormous and destructive consumption, and applied to the best and most important of all objects?-One sixth as much for saving men, as for destroying them! According to the principle of allowing 1,000 souls to a congregation, Boston has 13,000, and New Haven 3,000, destitute. Ardent Spirits: Intemperance. Dr. Worcester computes that there are 80,000 drunkards in the United States. He estimates the expence of spirituous liquors unnecessarily consumed every year, in Massachusetts alone, as not less than 2,000,000 dollars, and the expense of human life as being so great, that nearly seven hundred persons, in this commonwealth, annually finish the work of gradual suicide by intemperance. Two thirds of the paupers, in Boston alms-house, are brought thither by intemperance. ANIMAL FLOWER. The inhabitants of St. Lucia have discovered a most singular plant. In a cavern of that isle, near the sea, is a large bason, from twelve to fifteen feet deep, the water of which is very brackish, and the bottom composed of rocks. From these, at all times, proceed certain substances, which The consumption of ardent spirits is a present, at first sight, beautiful flowers, of a cause of lamentation in every communica- bright shining colour, and pretty nearly retion we receive from America: it seems to tint is more lively. These seeming flowers, sembling our marigolds-only that their be, or to be becoming, the vice of the on the approach of a hand or instrument, country. retire, like a snail, out of sight. On exaThe inquiry is made of collectors, thou-mining their substance closely, there apsands of times every year, 66 Why are taxes pear, in the middle of the disk, four brown raised? Why am I taxed so highly?" Let filaments, resembling spiders' legs, which move round a kind of petals with a pretty the answer always be ready. "You are brisk aud spontaneous motion. These legs taxed so highly, because the town is obliged to support many drunkards, and seizing it, the yellow petals immediately have pincers to seize their prey; and, upon many families impoverished by drunkenBess. if things go on at this rate, your exterior of a flower is a brown stalk, of the close, so that it cannot escape. Under this children and grand-children will be obliged bigness of a raven's quill, and which apto pay half their earnings to support pears to be the body of some animal. It is drunkards; unless, as may probably enough be the case, they become drunkards probable that this strange creature lives ou themselves, and avoid the payment of taxes by becoming inhabitants of an alms-house. As they do not like to pay taxes for the It appears to be of the Polypus kind: support of drunkards, they should insist whoever has examined the Polypi of our peremptorily on the suppression of tippling-ponds, and other fresh waters, will recollect shops. Remember, then, my friend, that when you pay taxes, you are paying a large portion of them solely because your superiors have been willing to counive at the thrown by the sea into the bason. the same actions, the same dispositions, and much of the same form, though on a much smaller scale of dimensions. INTERESTING INTELLIGENCE FROM THE April 9. As I was sitting by an obscure heathen temple, and reasoning with some men about worshipping a stone for BRITISH SETTLEMENTS IN INDIA. their god, a very decent looking Mussul BOMBAY. Images in great number. Aug. 27. For several days many have been employed in making images of Gunputtee from clay. These images are more or less nicely executed and ornamented, and sold at various prices from five pice (cents,) to eight or ten rupees. The images are carried to the houses of the people; there they are consecrated and worshipped; and today the multitude has been employed in carrying the images in procession with music, and dancing, and shouting, from their houses to the tanks, (pools,) when, with flowers and other offerings, they are thrown into the water. This is an annual ceremony. Gunputtee is worshipped in a great variety of ways by the Hindoos. They consider him as the god of wisdom and prudence, and they all invoke his name at the commencement of all the business and all the concerns of life. His images abound in every part of India, and it is believed, that this figure engrosses a greater share of the Hindoo worship than any one of all their other gods. man came up, and, after listening a while, desired to speak. But he no sooner began to display his zeal against idols, than the Hindoos asked him why the Mussulmen worship the tombs of the dead, which are only full of bones and stench? The Hindoos boldly attack the Mussulmen ground; and the latter certainly do seem to worship tombs with as much devotion as the former worship their idols. on this April 12, 1816. Good Friday. To day we have witnessed among the Catholic Christians a scene not much inferior in grossness to the idolatry of the heathen; viz. a representation of the death and burial of Christ. The image of Christ on the cross was exhibited in the church; the doors and windows were closed to represent the darkness that covered the land at the time of the crucifixion; the earthquake and the rending of the rock were represented by a simultaneous stamping with the feet, rapping with canes, and clapping of hands. In the evening, the image was taken down from the cross, laid on a bier, and carried in procession round the church, on the outside, with torches and an immense crowd of people following. The bier. During the procession, fire-works were played off, which gave a brilliancy to the scene, and attracted a vast concourse of spectators. Many of the heathen were present. They feel much strengthened in their image worship by observing the same practice among Christians; and they never fail to bring forward the practice of the Roman Catholics, when their own idolatry **Gunputtee is the same as Ganesa, of-image of the virgin Mary followed the ten vulgarly called Gunnis; probably his representative in classical idolatry, was the Janus of the Romans. The multitude of images used on this occasion may afford some elucidation of the great variety of similar idols recovered from the days of antiquity. The termination of this ceremony by throwing the deity into the water, will not be overlooked by those who refer this emblem to the great Patriarch who once floated on the water. Religious Commemoration. It must be acknowledged that the principle of Commemoration, as an act of Reli gion, seems to be in a manner natural to the human mind, or, at least, to the human imagination. We find it in all parts of the world. It appears to have been the origin of idolatry. Whether it is so of necessity, we do not decide, but all Religions have adopted it, and it forms the basis of most. If it is so liable to be abused, the greatest care should be taken to guard it effectually against excess. The following instances shew, not only that it is liable to excess, but also that opposite sects are ready enough to charge each other with it-partly by way of reproach, partly by way of self-vindication. is attacked. Peculiar mode of burial. April 7. Another Hindoo procession with music, bringing the dead body of a Gousavee, (belonging to one class of Hindoo devotees.) According to their custom he was to be buried. The manner of doing it was peculiar. The grave was dug in a circular form, about 3 feet in diameter, and 4 feet deep. The body was then deposited in a sitting posture, with the legs locked together and drawn up close under the body; this being the posture in which The hands were elevated to about a level this sort of people sit at their devotions. with the arm pits, and closed upon the breast, and in them the ling was carefully placed. Vows performed by prostration. women were performing their vows to the idol. This they did, by measuring the distance from their house to the idol, falling at full length on their faces, then rising and advancing to the spot to which their extended hands reached at their previous prostration. A number of musicians preceded them, and a train of attendants followed them. They also brought offerings for the idols, such as lighted tapers, flowers, ghee, (clarified butter,) cocoa nuts, &c. These vows are frequent among the lower classes of Hindoos. Cast that eats carcases of beasts which die of themselves: Petition of a knowledge of their principles, cannot be scfficiently thankful to their teachers: they view without affright" the labouring moon." June 10. To day no schools open among the natives, and business generally is suspended. The cause of this is an eclipse of the moon, which took place at a little before 5 o'clock this morning. Last evening the people repaired to a part of the island called Walakashwer, which is by the sea side. There they bathed in the sea, and spent the night in gloomy watchfulness. This is followed by a day of fasting and almsgiving! As to the cause of the eclipse, the Jotish, or philosophical shasters of the shasters, are, as in many other cases, entirely at issue. The former assign the true cause; the latter ascribe it to a cause as ridiculous as it is fabulous. April 23. A Hindoo came to us, in-Hindoos, and their Dhurm, or sacred treating that we would draft for him a petition to the chief magistrate of police without the fort of Bombay. He wished to set forth in his petition, that a large number of cattle died annually in Bombay; that the order of police was, that the carAmong other good effects likely to attend the exertions of Christian Missionaries, is cases of cattle thus dying should be immediately removed and buried, or otherwise the opportunity afforded to the Jews in disposed of, so as to prevent the offensive various parts, to receive instruction; and esA spirit of enand dangerous consequences of suffering pecially their children. so many carcases to remain amidst a quiry seems to be rising among that people. crowded population; that his cast was the It has been before mentioned, that at the eaters of such carcases; and that if the stated meetings for the public reading and magistrate would grant to his cast the ex- exposition of the Scriptures, several Jews clusive privilege of burying, or rather have attended; it is gratifying to state procuring for their own consumption, the here, that in one of the Free Schools for earcases of all the cattle that die in Bom- heathen children, there had been somebay, they would obligate themselves to pay times more than twenty Jewish children; annually to Government, for this monopoly, and that there should be a school principalthe sum of 100 rupees. He was askedly for Jewish children, the brethren more what number belonged to his cast in Bom-than a year ago, considered as being, for bay? He said, they amounted to five or six several reasons, very desirable. hundred. These people are called Mhars. Jews themselves," they then wrote, "have They are all considered as outcasts ; having | solicited it. They are very poor, and but become such, either by their own violation few of their children are at present taught of the rules of their respective casts, or by to read and write. In such a school the being born of parents, who for the same boys could be taught without any scruple reason had forfeited the privileges of cast. in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, Though they are considered as the most at least. A number of heathen boys would degraded and vicious class of Hindoos, yet belong to the school, who of course would they esteem themselves as a distinct cast, be instructed free from idolatry, in the and they have their rules and customs, to knowledge of the true God. It would also which they attach as much importance as lead to such an intercourse with the Jews, the other casts. The meanest of them as would be favourable to their instruction would not eat with us, through dread of in the knowledge of Christ. pollution and the loss of his cast. Eclipse suspends schools. Undoubtedly, there is something more than usually interesting in the phenomena of the heavens. To view them with curiesity, and sometimes with admiration, is lawful and laudable; but to be terrified at them is the effect of ignorance. The accuracy with which eclipses are calculated is among the triumphs of human science: and those who in their youth are favoured with "The Wives to be burnt, if they please. Lately, a Sati, or female sacrifice by burning, no less remarkable on account of the firmness displayed by the victims than from some extrinsic circumstances, took place at Kali-ghaut. The victims of superstition, in the present instance, were the two wives of Nilloo, a physician, an inhabitant of Shiva Bəzər, the first aged twenty-three, and the second only seventeen. By a regulation of go |