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149,336 blacks in South-Carolina. experiment it has yielded a gallon Since however Mr. D. wrote, the of oil to a bushel of seed. At the prohibition against the importation close of the article upon agriculof slaves has been taken off ; and ture, he speaks of slavery ; and in the years 1804 and 1805 there though our feelings revolt at the were 13,000 negroes imported attempt to justify slavery, yet we into Carolina. He states the ef- must have the candour to allow, fective militia at 35,785, of which that he has represented the connumber 1743 are cavalry, regular- dition of the slaves in South-Caroly armed, trained, and uniformed. lina without prejudice. An abLands are holden originally by horrence of slavery has led us to grant from the state, and now con- depict the wretched negro, groanveyed by simple deed. Their val. ing under the task of an inhuman ue must of course vary very great- overseer, but we shall subjcin his ly in this state. Tide swamp, the account of them, which we believe best land for rice, is worth, if cul- to be correct. “ They are worktivated, from $70 to 890 per acre. ed by certain tasks, which are not The income of the planter is still unreasonable, and when they are more unequal, some possessing diligent in performing them, they $80,000 and others, only $40 per have some hours of the day to annum. Our`author then passes themselves. Hence they are ento agriculture, a subject which he couraged to plant for their own seems to understand much better, emolument, raise poultry for their than any other in his book; and own use, or for sale ; and are prothough what he says upon it might tected in the property which they have been comprised in one third thus acquire. With good masters the space it now occupies, much they are happy and contented, and information respecting the culture instances are known, where they of rice and cotton, the staple arti- have declined an offered freedom. cles of South-Carolina, may be ob- It is prohibited by law to work tained by those unacquainted with them more than certain hours in the Southern states. A table is ad- the day, during different portions ded to show the different modes of of the year ; and their owners are planting rice in South-Carolina, liable to a penalty, if they do not Spain, Egypt, Sumatra, and China. feed them in a suitable inanner. He is particular in describing the Should they treat them cruelly machines for preparing those are they are amenable to the laws." ticles for market ; but does not He might have added, that the give sufficient praise to the raw fear of becoming infamous, a much gin for cotton, and water mill for more powerful motive than any rice lately invented ; probably be- positive law, obliges the gentlecause they are as yet used but by. men of Carolina to whom the

To the reasons, greatest part of the slaves belong, which he gives why indigo is less to treat them with humanity. He cultivated now than formerly, he is correct in saying, that, without might have added, that its prepara- negroes, pa of South-Carolina tion is extremely unwholesome, must still have remained deep even to the negroes. Nor does swamps and dreary forests. The he inform us, that oil is contained manufactures of South-Carolina in the cotton seed, and that, tho' deserve not the little that our auat present thrown away, yet by thor says of them. Of the canals

few persons.

he mentions the Catawba and San- religion, of which he says only a tee have alone been commenced, few words, he passes to charitable and the latter is the only one yet societies, of which the South-Cara finished. The Santee canal was olina for the support of the famibegun in 1792, and finished in lies and the education of the chil1800, at an expense of about dren of unfortunate deceased mem150,0001. sterling ; and in the bers, and the orphan house, are the spring of 1804 there had been no most important. The article of dividend ; but a hope was enter: literature should have been ena tained, that the following year titled education, for under it he they should divide i per cent. speaks of nothing but schools and Both these canals received en- colleges, which are not in a flourcouragement from the legislature. ishing state. The South-Carolina No one who has ever travelled college at Columbia was liberally in South Carolina can believe our endowed in 1801 ; and the ques. author's account of the roads a. tion will soon be determined, whegainst the evidence of his senses, the mind is capable of close appliwhich pronounce them infamous. cation to study in that climate ; Nor under the present existing or whether, equally enervated with laws can they possibly be better; the body, it cannot there be trained but the traveller will join with him to exertion. In delineating the in hoping, that the day will come character of the Carolinian, our when bridges shall be more fre- author has wholly failed. In no quent, than they are at present ; state in the union are the manners and that the spirit of the people of the different classes so various; will allow tolls to be imposed. Un- but in Mr. D.'s description we der the article of commerce he perceive not the marked distincgives a great number of tables of tion between the gentleman, eduimports and exports at different cated in Europe, vi ho to polished periods. His third and last chap- manners unites an hospitality und ter is divided into “ Histories; known in the old world ; and the government and laws ; revenue ; white savage of the borders, who civil divisions ; cities and towns ; to his own cunning has added the religion; charitable societies ; lit- fierceness and cruelty of his neigherature ; modes of living; charac- bour, the sable aboriginal. Nor ter and diversions.” His first ar- do we see a middle class with the ticle is a list of the different ac- want of feeling of the lower orders, counts of South-Carolina, that and the pride of the upper ; or the have ever been published. From young men of Charleston immergthe constitution he passes to the ed in dissipation, and instead of revenue, which he represents as imitating the urbane manners, and flourishing. It is derived princi* improving by the conversation of pally from direct taxes, and from their fathers, wasting their time the interest of a paper medium in foolish revels and boyish misloan, and of the debt due from the chief. United States. His account of We have examined this work Charleston is long, but uninterest- in the order of its arrangement, ing. Georgetown and Beaufort and must conclude, that, considare mere villages, and the other ering the opportunities, which our towns he mentions have not a col- author liad for years of collecting Lection of a dozen houses. From materials, that he has afforded us

Vol. III. No. 4. 20

1

very little information. He seems impressed with the idea, that it was necessary to write on every subject connected with South-Carolina, and that all were of equal importance. But if we should grant for the moment that his information was worth publishing, we would confine him to those subjects to which he seems competent, and to those tables which may serve hereafter as useful documents. Instead of throwing Light upon his subject, he frequent ly renders it obscure by attempting to show his learning. His language is sometimes incorrect. Be is constantly used for are, and substantives receive a gender,when. they are not meant to be personified. His style is sometimes obscure, and frequently turgid, particularly when he aims at the subline. We shall conclude our review with a quotation from his. description of the Catawba falls. "They are situated a little above Rocky Mount; and the approach to them is over hills which line the sides of the river. On either side the rocks are piled up in a wall of many feet high, and hills, rising above them in sharp conical summits, nod over the rupture below. Now the Catawba is arrested in its course, and from a width of one hundred and eighty yards, this river is forced by the hills and rocks on either side to shoot down the gulph in a channel of only ninety-five yards wide. Collecting its waters, impetuous and noisy, it thunders down the falls; tumbling over massy rocks, and foaming from shore to shore; wheeling its large whirlpools, and glancing from rock to rock with maddening fury. Nor ceasing its troubled waves, until it has overleaped twenty falls in the distance of two and an half miles, and has precip

itated from its height, a depth of ninety feet. Here, below Rocky Mount, it begins to subside; and spreads over a channel three hundred and eighteen yards wide; but is not composed. For miles below, rocks are scattered in its way; at times irritating its waters, and provoking the rapidity of its stream. So a proud and haughty disposition cannot bear control; but rushes onward with unabating violence, scorning all opposition which is surmountable, repossessing its tranquillity by slow degrees; and becoming again incensed with whatever rises in its way."

ART. 18.

An account of the malignant fever, which prevailed in the city of New-York, during the autumn of 1805. Containing, 1. The proceedings of the board of health to prevent the introduction of malignant fever. 2. The rise, progress, and decline of the late efidemick. 3. An account of the Marine and Bellevue hospitals, with the number of patients received, and deaths which have occurred, at each of these establishments, during the sickly season. 4. Record of deaths, &c.

c. 5. Opinion of several eminent physicians, respecting the cause of malignant fever, in several different parts of the United States. 6. The situation of the convicts in the state-prison, with respect to health during the last summer. 7. Desultory observations and reflections. 8. The various modes of cure adopted in the malignant fever. By James Hardie. 8vo. pp. 196. New-York, Southwick & Hardcastle. 1805.

IT is well known that a diversity of opinion has prevailed among

seasons.

physians respecting the origin, things, charged as the domestick nature, and treatment of Yellow sources of the disease, and at the Fever. The question has been same time to subject to quarantine agitated in a manner not the most all persons and things coming calm and dispassionate, among from suspected places, at certain gentlemen of the faculty ; at the same time, many of their fellow Such has been the conduct of citizens have chosen their sides, the legislature of the state of · and their co-operation has not tend- New York. They have authorised to diminish the zeal and ani- ed the establishment of a board of mosity, with which the controver- health, in their metropolis, with sy has been supported. It has powers to guard against every supthus been rendered unpleasant for posed source of the disease. The those who sought truth only to powers of this board appear to be canvas the subject.

ample ; and it cannot be doubted From one party we are told, that that they must feel disposed to the disease has been owing to the use every exertion to save themfilth of our cities, and to the nau- selves and their fellow citizens from seous exhalations from our docks; this common scourge. Notwithand, in some instances, they have standing their efforts, the disease even pointed to the particular did prevail there the last autumn. heaps of dirt, in which the poison During its prevalence, the board has been generated. They seem of health was necessarily the cenalmost to have seen the miasmata, tre of information, respecting its with so much familiarity do they origin and progress. The book talk of them.

before us was written by the secThe other party consider all this retary of that board. It was sureas an unjust charge of the evil to ly in his power, probably more a country too new and pure, and than in any other man's, to comunadulterated, and peaceable, to be mand all the materials for such a the mother of a disease so strong work. If, therefore, he has not ly marked, and of which the char- told the truth, the whole truth, acter is so malignant. They con- and nothing but the truth, his sider the reputation of the country, crime must be considered nothing and, in many instances, of the par- less than perjury. ticular city in which they reside, We know not the character of as injured by the suggestion, that Mr. Hardie, nor have we looked this disease is of domestick origin; for information on this subject and these considerations do not from any other quarter, with which make them listen with the more his may be compared. For the patience to the statements and ar- present we must rely on the genguments of their adversaries.'

eral complexion of the work, as As facts have been stated by the the ground of an opinion. From different parties, they have, often this we are induced to believe, that times, been so coloured by the Mr. H. is exceedingly well qualiprejudices on both sides, that it fied for the task he has undertaken, has become almost impossible to and that he has executed it with discover their true complexion. accuracy and impartiality. Meanwhile, to guard against the The first chapter of this work great calamity, the judicious have contains an account of the estabendeavoured to remove all those lishment of the board of health, at

а

June.

New York, of the powers with unlimited intercourse between the which they were invested, and of quarantine ground and the city, the measures they adopted to pre- it must have been practicable to vent, and afterwards to restrain detect the health officer, had his asand mitigate the disease. In this sertion been unfounded. If it was chapter, therefore, we find an ac, true, we must inquire whether count of the first appearances of those persons sent from the city any alarming cases of fever ; and really had the yellow fever, and, it also informs us of the extreme if they had, whence its origin. caution, with which the board pro- We had intended to examine ceeded, before they gave a publick the evidence on this subject at alarm, as well as of their fidelity large, but this would lead us too in reporting truly the existence far for the limits of a review. To of danger, when that was duly as, state the evidence with sufficient certained. From that time they precision,we must copy a great part published faithful reports ; and of the work before us. To this while the rich were warned to re- therefore we refer, and it should move from the city, an asylum be consulted by every man interwas opened for the poor. The ested in this subject. The evipropriety of such conduct needs dence is far from sufficient to de. not be displayed.

cide the general question in con It appears that the first case, troversy ; but we believe that which was called yellow fever by every impartial reader will agree, any person, occurred on the 8th of that, in this case, the domestick or,

From the 9th to the 24th igin of the yellow fever is renderof July three other cases occurred, ed most probable. which were believed, by many, to We cannot pass over this chapbe of the same nature.

The first ter,

without noticing a very case, which was acknowledged by handsome communication, which both parties to be yellow or malig, it contains, addressed by Dr. Sir nant fever, was that of James James Jay, to the board of health. Dougherty. This occurred on In this he proposes, in order to the 24th of July, and was followed ascertain facts, and to narrow the by a few cases in August ; but ground of controversy, that the the disease was not epidemick board should adopt the following till September 5th. Respect- method. « Desire the leaders of inz Dougierty, it appeared, that each party to give you in writing he was at the quarantine ground an accurate history, or description on the 3d or 10th of July. This of yellow fever, mentioning partigives room for suspicion, that he cularly those peculiar symptoms contracted wis disease there ; but attending its conimencement, proon August 7th, it is asserted by gress, and termination, which disthe health oficer, “ that no case of tinguish yellow fever from any yellow fever las existed cither at other fever. These descriptions the hospital, or on board the ship- of yellow fever will be a kind of pig at the quarantine ground standard for you and other gentle. since the first of July last, except men to judge by, of all doubtful those sick persons who have been cases that may subsequently occur. sent from the city of New York.” When you have obtained such a If, as was afterwards asserted by history from each party, whenev, Pr. Hosach, there was an almost er a suspicious case appears, let a

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