cylinder, the vacuum removed, and the piston rises to the top, because of the load at the other end of the beam. The cylinder is again filled with steam and condensed, the piston forced down, more water pumped up, and thus the engine continues to act as long as it is supplied with steam. boats, as has since been done. constitutes one of the most useful benefits, which science has conferred on the arts for practical purposes. In its earliest forms, it was used to raise water, although early efforts were made to adapt it to propel vessels. The marquis of Worcester, in the 17th century, has the credit of inventing the steam-engine; but he did not apply it to any useful The steam-engine is now applied to almost every purposes, nor did he cause any great attention to it. species of manufacture as a substitute for labour. At Some time later, one Savary gave an account of its first, it was used only to raise water, though early power, and even received a patent for it. In his efforts were made, as already stated, to propel ves machine, the elasticity of steam was used to force sels. Savary proposed to make water, raised by it, water up a pipe. But so imperfect was his plan, turn a wheel in a vessel which should carry paddle that there was a great waste or loss of steam, and wheels on the outside; and Watt, who made im a great consumption of fuel. A great improvement provements in the steam-engine, towards the close was made in the engine by Savary and others, in of the last century, declared that, with proper en1705, which consisted chiefly in a metallick cylin-couragement and leisure, he could apply it to propel der, in which a piston, air-tight, was capable of moving from top to bottom. The top was open and the bottom closed. The piston was attached to a piston-rod, or chain which connected it with the end of the working beam. This was supported on a gudgeon, and the end opposite to that to which the piston-rod was attached was loaded, and of course the pump-rod attached to it was at the bottom of the well from which the water was to be pumped. The cylinder is filled with steam till all the air is driven out. The piston was at the top of the cylinder. The steam in the cylinder is condensed by means of a jet of cold water; and a vacuum is produced in the cylinder. The atmosphere presses on the top of the piston, and forces it to the bottom of the cylinder. The pump-rod at the other end of the working beam is drawn up-it makes a stroke, and a quantity of water is pumped out of the well or nine Steam is again let in below the piston in the But steam is also employed to propel carriages on land. For this purpose, the wheels of the carriage are set in motion by the engine, in the manner wheels of a steam-boat are made to turn. The tire of the wheels is made of iron; and steam-carriages run on tracks of iron. Rail-roads are parallel bars of iron, laid either level or with a gentle and uniform slope; and steam has been chiefly applied to locomotion on roads of this kind. The locomotive machines have been much improved within a few years past. They now drag after them several cars, or carriages, equal to seven times their own size or weight. The great advantages of rail-way conveyance are now fully appreciated in this country, indeed, railways are multiplying to an astonishing extent, and wherever they are practicable, they seem destined to supersede all other modes of land conveyance. Fifty companies have been incorporated in the state | way. Now let this sheet be viewed from a corresof New York alone, with capitals amounting in the ponding elevated position on the Brooklyn heights, aggregate to about thirty-four and a half millions of and we have a good representation of the Falls on dollars. And most of the other states are propor- the American side, as viewed from the Canada tionably not behind New York. shore. The length of this sheet of water, falls little short of one quarter of a mile. St. Paul's to the flagstaff, than over the former; viewed from the same position, we may then have some idea of the extent of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canada side-the centre of which appears like the pouring over of the deep blue ocean. Follow "It is in the cloud of spray arising from this fall, that the beautiful rainbows formed both by the sun and moon are to be seen to the best advantage. In the morning and evening they are presented above, and at noon thrown on the sea of white, milk-like foam, produced by the cataract below! The engraving is intended to represent a steamcarriage invented by Howard, of Baltimore, for run- "Again, let the line from the top of St. Paul's ning on curved rails. The object is to have the axle and Trinity be continued to the top of the flagadapted to a curve road. The usual beam is divided staff on the Battery, forming an obtuse, angle at the in the centre, and one end is made to play in the head of Wall street. And supposing one hundred other; and thus the hind wheels will be sure to fol-times more water to pour over this line, viz., from low in the tract of the fore wheels. To this beam, the boiler A, with cylinders B B are attached. The boiler may answer the purpose of this beam, by placing it on beds H H, under which the axles G G move horizontally, round centre bolts. There are guides or supports D D, at each side of the boiler, at-ing the curve formed by this sheet of water, the tached to the axles and moving with them; to these length is somewhat more than half a mile. are openings for the vertical motion of the ends of bars (00) of the piston-rods: the guides are also connected (by pairs) at top by an iron bar, with a bolt in the centre, connecting it with an iron frame E E which passes lengthwise from each end of the boiler to which it is fastened, and which serves to keep the guides in a vertical position. The bolt is directly over the bolt of the wagon-bed and the centre of the cylinders, so that when the axle moves round the wagon-bed bolt, the guides move with it, and make the bar connected with them revolve round the bolt in the frame over the boiler. There is also a balance-bearer F supported from the boiler-bed, to preserve a uniform motion, which is connected with the shackle-bar of each piston-rod, which allows a vertical motion, and a horizontal motion at the same time is occasioned by an alteration of the direction of the wheels. The other object of Mr. Howard is to have the outer wheels go faster than the inner. Thus, the axle revolves as is common in rail-way cars, and the carriage wheels revolve on the axle; but at the end of the axle is a ratchet-wheel (L) fastened, to which is attached the rod C, from the shackle-bar, and not to the carriage wheel K. There is also a catch and spring striking the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, and uniting them as one, except when it is necessary that one carriage wheel, in describing a larger circle, should go faster than the other, or faster that the axle and ratchet-wheel. NIAGARA FALLS. We are indebted to a correspondent, for, a sketch of the Falls of Niagara. We are able, however, to publish only an extract from it, which contains a new, original, and certainly very descriptive illustration of the Falls, that will indemnify the New York reader for the perusal.-ED. "Goat Island, whose area is about seventy acres, and which in this remote region, is valued by its owner at as many thousand dollars, separates the American from the Canadian Falls. To give a New Yorker who has not seen them, some idea of the extent of Niagara Falls, we shall suppose a line drawn from the top of St. Paul's steeple, 160 feet high, to the top of Trinity Church steeple opposite Wall street; and that the water comes pouring over this line in one continued sheet, and falling in Broad "The noise of the Falls is so intense, that few strangers can sleep soundly in their vicinity for some nights. And after viewing them from the different positions on both sides of the river, many persons become much disturbed by awful dreamssuch as being suspended over the chasm, or falling into it, which start them in terrour from their partial sleep. These, however, soon disappear. "Those who wish to avoid disappointment, must first view this wonder of nature from the Canada shore. The Niagara river below the Falls, is sometimes raised seven or eight feet above the ordinary level, owing to strong winds blowing from the direction of Buffalo, which dash the waters of Lake Erie over the Falls with immense impetuosity. "CANADA PAVILION, Sept. 5." THE TEMPERANCE DAYSTAR. But, behold! a star arise, Ye who would your children save, Like the Dayspring from on high. Temp. Recorder. OPERATIONS IN NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, AND PENNSYLVANIA. At the time of the Declaration of Independence, | icans with so much activity, that the latter were July 4. 1776, Washington occupied the city of New compelled to evacuate the city about the 15th of SepYork and the western extremity of Long Island with seventeen thousand troops, principally raw recruits. On the 22d August, 24,000 British troops, under Lord Howe and his brother Sir William Howe, landed on Long Island near the Narrows, about nine miles from New York. On the 27th, a very hot battle was fought among the hills and woods on Long Island, in which the Americans were defeated. On the 29th, under the cover of the night, they joined the rest of the army in New York. The British now pressed the Amer tember. Several hot skirmishes took place on the island, and a battle at White Plains occured on the 28th of October. The Americans withdrew as far as Peekskill on the Hudson, and crossed the river at that place early in November. Washington's design was to harass the British army under Cornwallis in New Jersey. Fort Washington surrendered to the British with about two thousand men on the 16th. Washington reached Hackensack, soon after, with about five thousand troops. Cornwallis, the British general, entered New Jersey, opposite Yonkers above Fort Lee, November 18th. The American army passing through Paterson, reached Newark, large body of Hessians, who however resisted only Nov. 24th, and New Brunswick Dec. 1; the Brit- for a short time. Five hundred cavalry escaped; ish close in pursuit were at Amboy. Washington, but some fine cannon and about a thousand prisoners perceiving it to be the evident design of the enemy were taken by the Americans. Cornwallis, who lay to push on to Philadelphia, hastened on through a few miles off, thought so little of the American Princeton and reached Trenton Dec. 30. The Amer-"ragamuffins," at this time, that he mistook the noise ican force at this time was very inferiour, and alto- of the cannon at Trenton for thunder. In the night gether insufficient to make a stand against the ad- of the second of January 77, apprehending an atvancing enemy. The time the militia enlisted for was tack from the British, Washington started off for the short, and many of them went home. Whole compa- mountains of New Jersey. He reached Princeton nies deserted, and the army was soon so small that at daybreak, and fell upon the British there so sudWashington knew every man by name. They were denly and so fiercely, that sixty of them were killed, so nearly naked and ragged too, and looked so miser- and three hundred taken prisoners. Washington able that their own countrymen were almost ashamed soon reached Morristown, and there, as well as at to join them. The enemy pressed them so closely, Middlebrook or Boundbrook formed a camp. Here that large numbers went over to them, alleging that he commenced re-organizing his army for the cam"they might as well be ruined one way as another." paign of '77. Congress, notwithstanding the exThey crossed the Delaware, and week after week treme jealousy which had prevailed in relation to they were driven up and down its banks with scarce- the danger of a military ascendency, were conly a hope of relief. The bare and sore feet of the strained in the present alarming aspect of affairs, to infantry left the frozen ground bloody behind them. invest Washington with dictatorial powers. The British cavalry traversed the country, with proceedings were as follows:their large, fine horses, and elegant uniforms. But the few horsemen of the American army, were mounted upon wretched, worn-out horses, so lean and frightful, as to be the constant theme of ridicule with the British soldiers. The whole were ridiculed as a company of "ragamuffins." These were "the times that tried men's souls: " and the American people began to fear, that they would be crushed in their struggle for freedom. Many were entirely disheartened, and numbers basely deserted the cause of their country at this hour of need, and went over to the enemy. But the glorious Washington remained firm and undismayed. While other minds were shaken with doubt and fear, he remained steadfast and resolved. Looking deeply into the future, and placing his trust in Heaven, he seemed to penetrate the clouds that shed their gloom upon the land, and to see beyond them a brighter and a happier day. He always appeared before his soldiers with a smile, and fought or fasted with them, as necessity required. He inspired all around him with courage, and wrote many letters to Congress, to the governours of the states, to his generals and to his friends, entreating them to make great exertions to send him assistance. These appeals were not without effect. Philadelphia, in a very short time furnished him with a regiment of fifteen hundred noble fellows who were resolved to support him to the last. The "December 27th, 1776. This Congress, having maturely considered the present crisis; and having pcrfect reliance on the wisdom, vigour, and uprightness of General Washington, do hereby "Resolve, That General Washington, shall be, and he is, hereby vested with full, ample, and complete powers to raise and collect together in the most speedy and effectual manner, from any or all of these United States, sixteen battalions of infantry, in addition to those already voted by Congress; to appoint officers for the said battalions of infantry; to raise, officer, and equip three thousand lighthorse, three regiments of artillery, and a corps of engineers, and to establish their pay; to apply to any of the states for such aid of the militia as he shall judge necessary; to form such magazines of provis ions, and in such places, as he shall think proper; to displace and appoint all officers under the rank of brigadier-general, and to fill up all vacancies in every other department in the American army; to take, wherever he may be, whatever he may want for the use of the army, if the inhabitants will not sell it, allowing a reasonable price for the same; to arrest and confine persons who refuse to take the continental currency, or are otherwise disaffected to the American cause; and return to the states, of which they are citizens, their names, and the nature of their offences, together with the witnesses to prove them. The British now withdrew into winter quarters. "That the foregoing powers be vested in General They occupied the villages for many miles up and Washington, for aid during the term of six months down, on the eastern bank of the Delaware. Wash-from the date hereof, unless sooner determined by ington was below them, on the other side. But they Congress." were tired of pursuing him; and they believed that his army would soon dwindle away, and the whole country be conquered. They scarcely took the trouble to set guards at night. But Washington watched them like a lynx. On the night of December 25th, he crossed the Delaware again, with a large part of his army. The night was dark, stormy and cold. The river was crowded with broken ice, rushing together, and sweeping down upon its swift current. But notwithstanding these difficulties and dangers, the river was passed by the American troops, and they marched on to Trenton. They entered that place at eight in the morning, and met a VOL. III.-30 Although these powers constituted Washington, in all respects a Dictator, according to the Roman sense of that word, yet he never exercised then any farther than the exigency of the case demanded. In consequence of the very great efforts that were made by every friend of the American cause, militia crowded from all parts to Washington's camp at Middlebrook and Morristown. His army in the spring of '77 amounted to fifteen thousand men. He was so strongly intrenched among the hills, that the English dared not attack him. The following sum mer was spent in marching to and fro in New Jersey, without effecting much. But in July the British mustered a force of sixteen thousand men, at New York. These left there, soon after, with a large fleet. An attack was expected everywhere upon the coast; but no one knew whither they were bound. Washington moved his army towards Philadelphia. The British fleet at last, entered Chesapeake Bay, and landed their men at Turkey Point. They left that place September 3d, and marching towards Philadelphia, came up with a portion of Washington's army, at a place called Chad's Ford, on the river Brandywine. On the 11th, they had a warm skirmish, and the Americans were driven back. Congress removed to Yorktown, Virginia; and Howe entered Philadelphia, in great triumph, September 26th. The Americans were defeated again at Germantown, on the 4th of October. The battle began early in the morning, when nothing could be seen farther than thirty yards. During the whole action, which lasted nearly three hours, the firing on both sides was directed by the flash of each other's guns. The smoke of the cannon and musketry, mingled with the thick fog, rested over the armies in clouds. The Americans saved their artillery, even to a single cannon, which had been dismounted. General Greene displayed most remarkable coolness in this action. About this time, a smart action was fought at Red Bank, on the Jersey side of the Delaware, seven miles below Philadelphia. The Americans had erected batteries here, and upon Mud Island, in the middle of the river. Nothing, therefore, belonging to the British, could pass up and down between their camp at Philadelphia, and their fleet in the river below. Two ranges of chevauxdefrise were placed in the channel. Howe sent down two thousand Germans, under Colonel Donop, to attack the Red Bank redoubt, which was defended by four hundred men. This number was so small, that half the redoubt was left vacant, and a line was drawn through the middle of it. The enemy came on very fiercely with a brisk cannonade; entered the empty part of the redoubt, and shouted for victory. But the garrison poured out such a tremendous fire, that the Germans, after a brief conflict fled, with the loss of four hundred men, and their brave commander Donop. They Washington retired into winter quarters at Valley Forge, sixteen miles from Philadelphia. His army might have been tracked by the blood of their feet, in marching without shoes or stockings, over the hard, frozen ground. Thousands of them had no blankets, and were obliged to spend the night in trying to get warm, instead of sleeping. erected log huts for lodgings. For a fortnight they nearly starved-sometimes they were without bread and without meat. A person passing by the huts of these poor fellows in the evening, might have seen them through the crevices, stretching their cold hands over the fire, and a soldier occasionally coming in or going out, with nothing but a blanket on his shoulders. "No pay, no clothes, no provisions, no rum," said they to each other. But to their praise be it spoken, they loved Washington and their country too well, to desert them in these trying times. During the winter, the Americans contrived some machines which were filled with gunpowder, and sent down the river Delaware, near to the city. They expected that these would explode, and among the British shipping; they did, however, no damage, but the British were very much alarmed, and accordingly, fired cannon at every thing they saw floating in the river. This afforded the Americans a fund of amusement. Francis Hopkinson, one of the signers of the Declaration, and a man of great wit, wrote the following humorous ballad upon th subject: BATTLE OF THE KEGS. Gallants, attend, and hear a friend 'Twas early day, as poets say, Just when the sun was rising, A soldier stood on log of wood," And saw a thing surprising. As in a maze he stood to gaze, The truth can't be denied sir,He spied a score of kegs, or more, Come floating down the tide, sir. A sailor too, in jerkin blue, This strange appearance viewing First rubb'd his eyes, in great surprise, Then said, "Some mischief's brewing.. "These kegs to hold the rebels bold, Pack'd up like pickled herring; And they're come down t' attack the town, In this new way of ferrying." The soldier flew, the sailor too, And, scar'd almost to death, sir, Now up and down, throughout the town, Some fire cried, which some denied, But said the earth had quaked; Lay all this time a snoring, At his bedside he then espied Sir Erskine at command, sir; Upon one foot he had one boot, And the other in his hand, sir. "Arise, arise!" Sir Erskine cries; "The rebels-more's the pityWithout a boat, are all afloat, And ranged before the city. "The motley crew, in vessels new, With Satan for their guide, sir, The royal band now ready stand, |