gross as has ever been observed since the Almighty fiat gave birth to light. It wanted only palpability to render it as extraordinary as that which overspread the land of Egypt in the days of Moses. And as darkness is not substantial, but a mere privation, the palpability ascribed to that by the sacred historian must have arisen from some peculiar affection of the atmosphere, perhaps an exceeding thick vapour, that accompanied it. I could not help conceiving at the time, that if every luminous body in the universe had been shrouded in impenetrable shades, or struck out of existence, the darkness could not have been more complete. A sheet of white paper, held within a few inches of the eyes, was equally invisible with the blackest velvet. Considering the small quantity of light that was transmitted by the clouds, by day, it is not surprising that, by night, a sufficient quantity of rays should not be able to penetrate the same strata, brought back by the shifting of the winds, to afford the most obscure prospect even of the best reflecting bodies.

"In framing this solution, you will observe that I have supposed a retarding power in the vapors that compose the clouds; in other words, that the rays of light suffer a great diminution of velocity from the reflections and refractions which they meet with in their passage. This effect necessarily results from a want of perfect elasticity in reflecting bodies; for, should we suppose a perfect elasticity in the rays of light, (of which, however, we have no proof,) and allow a want of it in the vapours of which the clouds are formed, their velocity must be less after the reflection than before: should it be said that light is reflected from bodies, not by infringing upon them, but by a principle of mutual repellency between them, the probability of their suffering a retardation will be much increased; because it is hardly conceivable that this principle, after having entirely destroyed the motion. of light, should give it as great an impulse as it first received. from its source, the sun. If it does not, then a certain num

ber of reflections must be sufficient to reduce the rays to a state of perfect quiescence; and those, which make their way through, must, at their exit from the clouds, proceed with a velocity more or less diminished, in proportion to the number of reflections they have encountered. It is probable the refractions may also produce a similar effect.

"Thus, Sir, I have given you my ideas of the manner, in which the extraordinary darkness on the 19th of May was produced.

"If my principles are allowed, I flatter myself the solution will not appear to you altogether unphilosophical. If, however, upon a full and candid examination, you should see cause to reject it, I will thank you to communicate the reasons which lead you to do it; and, if you please, to give me a better.

"I have the honour to be,

"Sir, with high esteem,

"Your most obedient and humble servant, "SAMUEL TENNEY.

"Exeter, Dec. 1785.

"To

The aforenamed 19th of May, 1780, happened on Friday; there was nothing so particularly unusual in the appearance of the morning, as to attract very special notice, or to deter people from going about their usual employment. The sun rose clear, and shone for several hours; at length, the sky became overcast with clouds, and by ten o'clock, A. M., the darkness was such as to occasion farmers to leave their work in the field, and retire to their dwellings; fowls went to their roosts; and, before noon, lights became necessary to the transaction of business within doors; the darkness continued through the day; and the night, till near morning, was as unusually dark as the day.

REMARKABLE PRESERVATION.

Monday, Dec. 4, 1786, Mr. Samuel Pulsifer, and Mr. Samuel Elwell, both of Rowley, were on the flats in Plum Island River, between Plum Island and Hog Island, digging clams. They left the clam ground and came to their hut on Hog Island, expecting to spend the night; but a snow-storm coming on very rapidly, caused them to change their purpose, and endeavour, at low water, to get themselves off the island. They soon got lost in going over the marshes and creeks; after wandering about some time, they found a stack of salt hay, in which they dug a hole and encamped for the night. In the morning, to their utter astonishment, they found the tide had risen so high, that they were obliged to leave their hole, and repair to the top of the stack. They were deprived of all hope, save a faint expectation that their weight would keep the stack from moving off the staddle; but a cake of ice soon struck the stack, and set it afloat. The winds blew, and the sea raged around them, while the heavens were darkened with the falling snow. The land disappeared; they knew not their course, and could discern nothing but the world of waters, agitated by a tremendous Their stack at times went directly forward, and at others whirled around like a top, threatening every moment to break in pieces. On a sudden they felt the stack, on which they had thus far been preserved, separating under them. At this instant, another stack of hay, large and unshattered, came alongside of them, on which they had sufficient strength to leap. In this dangerous situation, they passed about two hours, exposed to the cold, snow, and water, which continually dashed upon them, by which time they became almost stupefied, and began to feel sleepy. They were driven into Smith's Cove, in Ipswich, between three and four miles from the spot where the tide first set them

storm.

adrift. Here, hoping and despairing by turns, they lay some considerable time, the stack being stopped about four rods from the land by cakes of ice. After a while, they perceived that the wind and tide were again carrying them out to sea. Pulsifer immediately threw himself upon the ice, and bid the other follow him; Elwell was much stupefied with the cold, but after some delay got on to a cake of floating ice, and succeeded in reaching the shore. Pulsifer got so near the land that he could touch the bottom with his feet, but his legs were so benumbed with cold that he could not put one before the other, and for a while thought he must perish within a rod of the shore. At last he bethought himself of putting his legs forward one after the other with his hands, and gained the shore in safety.

The thought of being on land once more reinvigorated their almost exhausted faculties, and they ran a few rods, when to their dismay they found they were on an uninhabited island, instead of the main, as they supposed. To venture into the water to gain the main would be immediate death; and to tarry on the island was wholly impracticable. At last they found a stack of dry hay, in which they secured themselves as well as they could, and halloed for help. Pulsifer spied a man on the main, and they called more vigorously; but the man soon passed out of sight. Despair settled into their very hearts, and death seemed their inevitable portion. About three quarters of an hour after this, Major Charles Smith, of Ipswich, with his two sons, came within sight of the island, in search of some strayed sheep. One of the sons saw a man on top of a stack, swinging his hat, and crying for help. The Major, knowing the ground, went immediately on to the island, over a causeway covered about three feet with water, and brought off the distressed men, whom he took to his house and provided with every thing necessary; and on the Thurday following, they returned to their homes.

The foregoing account, substantially as here given, was taken from the mouths of the men themselves, by Rev. Ebenezer Bradford, of Rowley, to whom the said men were near neighbours, and published in the Massachusetts Gazette, in Dec. 1786. The storm spoken of was one of very great severity, and the tide rose to a height scarcely equalled before or since. All the salt hay standing on staddles in the Rowley marshes was removed mostly across the river and marshes to the lee shore in Ipswich, the wind being northeast. The winter was one of unusual severity. Rowley River was quickly covered with ice of sufficient strength to support ox teams, and people commenced going in pursuit of their drift hay; but they soon found, that what little had landed, where it was accessible with teams, had been so wet, and was so much frozen and wedged in by cakes of ice, that it would scarcely pay for the labor of removing. Hundreds of tons were entirely lost to the people of this town by that one storm.

BUNKER HILL MONUMENT.

The Bunker Hill Monument Association was instituted in 1823. Its officers were, John Brooks, President; Thomas H. Perkins and Joseph Story, Vice-Presidents; Nathaniel P. Russell, Treasurer; Franklin Dexter, Secretary; with fourteen Directors.

In the autumn of 1824, subscription books were sent to the Selectmen of each town in the State, with a request that each person in the several towns might have an opportunity of subscribing to so laudable an object. Any gentleman who subscribed and paid five dollars or more was admitted a member of the Association. It was then estimated that the sum of $75,000 would be sufficient to defray all the expenses of purchasing the land and erecting the monument. To this object the citizens of Rowley subscribed and