Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

/ CAMDEN GAZETTE ,& MERCANTILE JMYEli'I IS Eli. A + <** , V ( V-1 _ m-*-? ' CAMDEN (S.C.) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1820. 7'tt.fc' PL BLIC H ILL OUR GUlD?+i.THE PVBJ.JC GOOD OUR ?AD. [Nn. 24. Mis cellaneous. JZxfracttdfor the .V. Y. Daily Advertise THEGUfcEN LAND BEAR. The Polar, <vr Greenland Bern, the sovereign of arctic animals, i s, povertul and courageous; savage and sagacious; apparently clumsy . vet not inactive. His senses are ex % tremely acute, especially his si; ? and smell, * As he traverses exten sive fields of ice, he mounts the hammocks and looks around fur. prey ; on rearing his head and snuf tiug the breeze, he perceives the scent of the decayed whale at an im mense distance. A piece of kreng thrown iuia a Hie draft s him to a ship train the distance of miles. ? The kreng of the whale, however offensive to others, is to him a ban quet. He seems to be equally at ltome- on the ice as on land. He is found on field ice, above 200 mile* from the shore, tie can s^im with the velocity of three miles an hour, and can accomplish some leagues without much inconvenience. He climes to a considerable depth, though not very freqnently. . He may he captured in the water without much danger ; but on the ice, he has such no iters of resistance at command, that the experiment is hazardous. When pursued and at tacked, he always turns upon his enemies. If struck with a lance, he is apt to seise it ini his mouth, and either bite it in' two, jut wrest it out ~~6f Ihe hand. If shot with a ball, unless he is struckl!) the head, the heart, or in the shoulder, he is en raged rather than depressed, apd falls with increased power upon his pursuers. ? When shot at a distance and able, to espape, he has been ob served to retire to the shelter of a ^hammock, and, as if conscious of the styptical of cold, apply snow with his paws to the wound. Though possessed of courage and ! great means of defence, lie always unless urged by hunger retreats be fore men. His general walk is slow and deliberate ; but when impelled by danger or linger, he proceeds by a galloping step ; and upon ice, can easily outrun any man. Bears, though they have been known to eat one another, are, re markably affectionate to their yi>ung. The female, which has generally two at a birth, defends them with such zeal, and watches over them with such anxiety, that she some times falls a sacrifice to her maternal attachment. ? A pleasing and very extraordinary instance of sagacity in a mother bear was related to me by a credible and well informed |>erson, who accompanied me in several voy ages to the whale fisheries in the ca pacity of surgeon. This bear, with two cubs under its protection, was pursued across a field of ice, by a party of armed sailors. At first she seemed to urge the young ones to an increase of speed hv running l?efi?re them, turning round and manifesting by a peculiar action and voice her anxiety for their progress; but find ing their pursuers gaining upon them, she carried or pushed, or pitched them alternately forward, until she effected their escape, in throwing them before her, the little creatures are said to have placed themselves across her path, to receive impulse ; ? and when projected some yiirds in advance, they ran onwards until she overttMik them, tfhen they alternate ly adjusted themselves for a second throw . (Several instances of peculiar sa gacity in these animals have been ob served. A seal, lying on the middle ut a lar^e field of ice, with a hole just before it, was marked out by a beai for its prfly, aud secured by the arti fice of diving under tl?e ice, end makiug its way to the hole by which ? the seal was prepared to retreat. ? e seal, however, observed its ap ach and plunged into the water; but the bear instantly sprung upon it, and appeared, about a minute after wards, with the seal in its mouth. The capt. of one of the whalers being anxious to pre cure a bear, without wounding the skin, made trial of the stratagem of laying tlie noose of a rope in the snow, and placing a piece of kreng within it. ? A bear jawigmg the neighboring ice, was soon enticed to the spot by the. smell of burning meuU "He per ceived the bait, approached, and seized it in his moutb $ but his foot-, at the same moment by a jerk of the rope toeing entangled in the noose, he pushed it off with the a<\joining paw, aud deliberately retired. Af ter having eaten the piece he carried away with him, he returned. Hie noose with another piece of kreng. being then replaced, he pushed the rope aside and again walked tri umphantly oft* with the kreng. A third time the noose w?* laid, but, excited to caution by the evident ob servation of the beat, the sailors \ buried the rope ber eatb the snow, ami laid the bait in a deep hole dug iu the centre. The bear once more approached, and the sailors were as sured of their success. But Bruin Jiewioydnm ibo t hey ex pected, after snuffing about the place for a few moments, scraped the snow away with his paw, threw the rope aside, and again escaped unhurt With his prize. In the month of June, 1812, u female hear, with two cuf>s? ap proached the ship 1 commanded and was shot* The cubs not attempting; to escape, were taken alive* These animals, though at first evidently very unn^ipy, liecame at length, in some measure reconciled to (heir sit uation, and being tolerably tame, were allowed occasionally to go at large about the deck.? -W bile the ship was moor* d to a Hoe, a lew days after they were taken, one of them, having a rope fastened round his neck, was thrown overboard. Ii immediately ?Wam to the ice, got upon it and attempted to escape. ? Finding itself, however, detained by the rope, it endeavored to disen gage itself in the following ingenious way. Near the edge of the floe was a crack in the ice, of a considerable length, but only 18 inches or 2 feet wide, ami 3 or 4 feet deep. o this spot the bear returned ? and va hen, ou crossing the chasm, the bight of the rope tell into it, he placed him across the opening; then suspending himself by his hind feet, with m leg on each side, lie drop[>ed the most part #&4iis body into the chasm ; and with a* foot applied to e ch side of the neck, attended for some minutes to push the rope over bin bead. ? Finding the scheme ineffectual, he| re moved to the main ice, i nd running with great impetuosity from the ship, gave a remarkable puit on the rope, (lien going backwards a few steps he repeated the jerk. At length after repeated attempts to escape in this way, every failure of which he an nounced by a significant growl, he yielded to bis hard necessity, and lay down on the icc in angry and sullen silence. A bear w liich was attacked by a <?>?{%} crew, in the Hpitzbergen sea. ..jade such a formidable resistance that it was enabled to climb tLo side of the boat And take possession'of it, \\ hile the intimidated crew fied for safety to the water, supporting them selves by the gunwale and rings if the boat, until by the assistance of another party from their ship, it was shot as it sat inoffensively in the stern. And, with regard to narrow escape, 1 shall only add, that a sailor, v\ ho was pursued on a field of ice by a bear, when at a considerable distance from assistance, prJJetved his life, by throwing dow n an article of cloth iug, whenever the hear gained upon hiin, on which it always suspended the pursuit until it fcad examined it, and thus gave him time to gain some advfcnce. In this Wy* by means of a hat, jacket and A ? neck handker chief, successively cast down, 'the progress of the beftt 1 vvas retarded, aud the sailor escaped from the dan ger that threatened Him in the refuge afforded him by tht vessel. Scoresb^s Jfrctie Jroyages. m Prom u Skrtche 9 America** THE GROTTO Of OUACHAHO. The ^ulpli of Ct4^co ^ frequent ed by innumerable flocks of maiine birds. r . (i When tlte natites wish to catch ahy of tiles*.' wild fowl," says. \l. Lavaysse, ?? th*y go into the water, having their heads covered each with a calabash, in which they make two holes for seeing. through* '1 'hey thus swim towards the I ds, throwing a handful of . aiae of the water from time to time* of tifhich the grains scatter on tbr snrfwe. The ducks And other birtls ajjfaioach to feed on the maizeT" atTbaittiimiertt thr swimmer seizes them by the feet, pulls them under water, and wrings their neck-, before they can make the least movement, or by their noise spread an alarm among the flock. The swimmer attaches those he has caught to his girdle; and he general ly takes w.my as arc, necessary for his famil Amongst the natural curiosities of this m-ighboifrhuod, is a lake full of crocodiles and various other rpptiles, hne of which, if we are to believe a common tradition ?f the people, re- ! sembles the wingpd dragon of tin* | poets* h\ ?o1ng from Carapano to Guii'ia, our author passed through the " Htniliir^ valley'* of Rio Caribe, watered by numerous streams, anil which be call* the 'temple and Compaj;na of VWiefcuela/ Speak ing ho celebrated Grotto of Guach aro, in iIt mountains of Bergantin, M. Lavaysse observes, "Iu every country t lie same -causes have pro* dffted similar efforts on the imagina tion of our species. The, grotto of G'sacharo is, in the opinion of the Indians, a place of trial and expia- 1 tiun: sou Is when departed from bodies, go to this cavern ; those of men who die without reproach do uot re main in it, and immediately ascend, (o reside with the greftt Manitou in the duelling of the blessed ; those of the wicked art retained there eternally ; and such men as have committed but slight faults of a veni al nature, are kept there for a longer or shorter period, according to their ' crime. " Immediately after the death of their parents and friends, the In* dians proceed to the entrance of this cavern, to listen to their groans. If they think they hear their voices, they also lament, ftud address a prayer to the Great Spirit, and another to the devil Muhoya; after which they <1towii their grief with intoxicating beverages. Hut if they do not hem* the wished- for voices, they express their joy by dances and festivals. In all this there it but one circumstance (hat create* surprise, it is that the Indian priests have not availed themselves of such credulity to augment their revenues, Mauy Indians, though otherwise converted to Christianity, have not ceased to believe in Guacharo : and to des cend into GuacbAfo, is among them, synonymous \> ith dying. " Thus in the majestic forestg of South America, as in the ancient civilization of Iliudostan ; under the harsh climates of Hie north of Eu rope and Canada, as in the burning regions of Africa, in all parts the in in of every color is distinguished from other animals by this irresisti ble foreboding of a future life in which an Omnipotent Being recom penses the good, and punishes evil doers. Whatever may be the modi fications, differences, or absurdities with which imaginations, ignorances and greedy imposture have envelop ed this belief, it appears to l>e one of the strongest moral proofs of the identity of our species, and to be a fiatural consequence of reflection." I THE CRITICAL OBSERVER. I ?< Look crej;ou leap , or else you'll play the fool I" It was a fine morning in the month I of May, when, in accordance with I the cheerfulness of the season, a par I ty of youngsters of whom I was one. I were amusing themselves by all kinds I of capers among the ruins of an old I bam belonging to my uncle Baftholo I mew. The sport had continued for I sometime without interrupt!***, when, I j; st as I was ahont to perform some I hew feat of agilhv, my \tnele irnex I pectedly made his appearance among I us. " Dominic," said he " look era I you leap, or else you'll play the fool," I and immediately left us. The nd I vice was quaint, and, at any oilier I time, might have L;tn attended to; I hut at that moment, I was bent on I following no one's advice except my I own, and therefore looked upon (he I proverb of my uncle, x as a very silly I s;iy?n?- I leaped, and as may well I be surmissed, "played the fooli" An I old beam projected a good way from I the wall, upon which Me had leaped I repeatedly in our gambols, with safe I ty, hut by the frequency of our I weight falling on it, it had become I very much loosened? ?this circum I stance, I might easily have distfovetv I ed, bad I been inclipad to follow I the dictates of the proverb 5 but, a* L I said before, looking was entirely I out of the question. I jumped npon I the beam ? it gave Way* anu I fell? I and to end the matter, was carried I into the house with my shoulder (lis I located, besides being otherwise 8e I vetely bruised. Here was a sad I comment upon my uftrfe's text ! Bit I tcrly did I ruef not fallowing his ad I vice ; but repining %t my ill conduct I did not one jot abate the pain, and I bore it as patiently as possible, in wardly resolving to be more circum spect in future. But in the main, I had not much cause to regret the fall, for, when busily employed in "build ing castles in the uir," which in my young days, was frequently the case ? |H)h ! the proverb of my uncle rushed into my mind ? the talisman 1 was broken, and 1 returned to the paths of reason. It likewise furnish ed me with a store of advice for my fellow creatures.' When I see a young farmer pos sessed of a good farm, well stocked and in ^mhI condition ; and hy which he is vapidly increasing in ltli I and respectability, get a whl;n into his head, that, hy selling oil' and moving to a vew country, where he is entirely uuknown, he can do huh 1< better, then the proverb comes into nr, head, and I whisper in his ear, *? look ere you leap, or el$e you'll 1 play the foot." VVtien 1 see a young tradesman, I owning a small though sure stock, I and gaining a good livelihood? disre I gardiug small gains , and eiuh .tvor I ing u> force thai fickle minded jade, I daiiie fortune, to bestow more copi ous gifts, hy adven.uung in lotieriee9 I and incessantly beseiling lb* banks, I in order to engage in speculations, I and thereby involving not only him-, I self, but liis friends, I cannot forbear I crying out to him ?* look ere you leap, I or most assuredly you' 11 play the f olJ* I Wheu 1 observe a young dauisel I inheriting, besides a good Jigurs I and beautiful face t a considerable I share of the ".good things of thi? I world," i. e. u fortune, continually I " shopping?' for the porpose of I bedecking herself with getc-gaws I and corsetti r, thereby perverting na I ture's laws ; and, after all,, upon the I point of l^towing her person and I fortune upon some worthless rake, whose only merit lies in his following the fashions, and being dressed in , the very "ton," thert 1 cry out 44 in the very bitterness of anguish," for heaven V sake, .my dear girl, "look ere you leap , or my word for iti yo M play the fool"* [Natioal Advocate* I PATRICK HENRY. I An cx tract qf a letter .from a grnllemuit in Virginia, to his friend in Alexandria. I The writer of (he letter mentions* I at Mr. Henry left in lite will* the I following testimony in lav or of the | christian religion ; I ?? I have now disposed of fttt-lkljr I property to ray family? there its tmc I i hint; more I wish I coutt] give (hem, I and that is the Christian religion I If they had that, and 1 had not I given them one sidling, they would I he rich \ and if tb^y have not that, I and I had given them all tbia World, I they had been poor" I The writer adds* I " I never knew av more devout mar I than i\lr. Hewhy was* The evening I preceding bin death, when he knev I a mortification bad taken place, an# I his pains had left him, bis friend: I mentioned to bim they hoped he wa; I getting het(er?*~his reply was* tba I before this time comet to-morrow I I shall be in heaven. His dec lata I tion was fulfilled ; for before tit* I time (he next day, be warf in eteftii ty." ' v ' I Society ii' the cemityl huina nature 5 by mutual kkwltfit softer asperity, and bv emuUtion it pr< motes virtue. The beat? of mat created for delight, would pitoe i lassitude, or grow sour with mittai thropy, if we were deprived of m cial intercourse* Our primevr,! pa ent himself, amidst (he glories of | new world, and the chariiis of Paradise, found himself not con pletely blest, (ill Heaven fient i last best gift on earth, a covnpaftic to raise him to the summit of felicit 1 know not w hich is the more hi meahle, the bring Who stoically a jures the enjoyment of life* or I who only abuses them : both Cbara ters pervert the blessings bestow by Providence for the alleviation human care* A preacher at Savantfafi* W how fond of uniting temporals wi spirituals, & pursued the business /i co? t< m di aler *i* daya in ;he we< and a preacher of the (Joapel I KtiVeiUU, gave oul to his cnoii, " i live audiurueUi hym\ long stay!