I slept at a Tavern about five miles on from Petersburg, kept by Henry Laraw, a civil man and moderate in his charge.

14th. Went on about three miles an came to a clean little town called Dillstown. About four got to Harrisburg, 35 miles from Gattes burg. The weather was nearly Gattesburg. as warm as it is in England in July.

CHAP. VIII.

Preaches in Harrisburg and in the neighbourhood, and attends two Conferences. 1832

Lordsday 15th. Spoke at Mr. Winebrener's chapel at 10. who had engaged me to supply in his absence while he went into the country. Spoke from 2 Cor. v, 9.

In the evening on Luke xv. 11-24. weather cloudy, and cooler.

16th. In the forenoon it thundered and rained heavily. In this town I have many homes, it is comfortable to rest a little after so much travelling, especially being so well accommodated with a room alone, to read and write and lodge.

Looking over a recent publication, was the following account of what is there termed Magnificent Cypress Tree. "In the gardens of Chapultepec near Mexico, the first object that strikes the eye is the Magnificent Cypress, called the Cypress of Montezuma. It attained its full growth, when that Monarch was on the throne (1520) so that it must be now at least four hundred years old; yet it still retains all the vigour of youthful vegetation. The trunk is forty one feet in circumference, yet the height is so Majestic as to make even this enormous mass appear slender. At Santa Maria de Tula in Oaxaca, is a Cypress ninety three feet and half in circumference, which yet does not show the slightest symptoms of decay."

The publisher of those curiosities says that, "Pliny imagined that the Pyrrhocorax or chough was a bird peculiar to the Alps; but that Cambden in his History of Cornwall describes this bird as an inhabitant of that county thus, In the rocks underneath, all along this coast, breeds the Pyrrhocorax, a crow with red bill and

red feet; this bird is found by the inhabitants to be an incendiary, and very thieving, for it often sets houses on fire privately, steals pieces of money, and then hides

them.'

Choughs are common in the west of Cornwall, but I never knew that they set houses on fire or stole money, though perhaps Cambden might.

The same publication relates an account given by M. Grand a French author, in relation to the finny tribe, not hitherto, it is thought, noticed by naturalists. It is that, "the Aborescent tritinica enjoys the power of song. The music it makes, when placed in a vase containing a small quantity of water may be heard at the distance of twelve or fifteen feet. M. Grand supposes that these sounds serve as a means of communication from one of these animals to another."

17th. The following account is given by Silas Mc. Kean, of Bradford, U. S. March 22nd. 1832.

"I have just returned from a funeral, which presented such a scene as I never witnessed before, and hope I shall never witness again. The funeral of three young women whose remains were all collected in one coffin, and deposited in one grave. They were the daughters of James Kent Esq. of Piedmont, New Hampshire. Their names were Sevia, Polly, and Elsey Jane; the eldest 23 years old, the youngest about 16 They were much respected where they were known. The family consisted of the father, mother, mother's brother, and the three sisters. On the evening of the 21st. instant, (March) you might have seen them in peace, and safely grouped around the fire side; happy in the company of each other, and of a few friends who came to visit them.

At the accustomed hour they retired to bed, the parents in a lower room, and the daughters in a chamber. About three o'clock in the morning they were aroused by suffocating smoke and flames of fire. The back and upper part of the house which were most remote from the sleeping room of the parents, were the parts of the house where the flames raged most. The father sprang from his bed and hasted to secure his daughters. Going to the stairs, and finding the heat intolerable, he ran to the barn for a

ladder. While he was away the mother heard one of her daughters, who had probably got to the top of the stairs, cry Father! Father! and one or two piercing screams came down from a remote chamber, into which the other two had fled as a momentary refuge from the pursuing flames. In a few minutes the father came with the ladder, got to the window of his daughters' sleeping roomcalled-but had no answer. The dense smoke with approaching flames poured into his face, he could not enter! He came down to his wife and said, "Our children are gone! they are dead!" The neighbours were soon on the spot, but came too late to afford much help.

In the morning the remains of the three sisters were collected from the ruins;a few bones, or rather cinders, of one in the cellar, under the place where the foot of the chamber stairs had been; and what remained of the other two lay near together where they had (perhaps embracing each other,) fallen down from the chamber to which they had fled from their own.

The collection of people at the funeral was very great, and the time solemn and very affecting At the close of the service, the bereaved father arose, and while bowed down under the heavy weight which had been laid on him, blessed God for the consolation that he was still allowed to enjoy. He said that he trusted his three daughters, who had been so suddenly removed from him, were all of them truly pious: they had often been united with him in the worship of God on earth, and he hoped yet to join with them in everlasting adoration and praise before his throne in heaven. He did not utter a murmuring word but exhibited the same spirit as did Eli of old, who said, 'It is the Lord, let him do as seemeth him good.""

Blessed be God that we may hope it was so, and that those piercing cries of Father! Father! when it was impossible for their earthly parent to help them, were mercifully regarded by their FATHER in heaven, who it is hoped, received their departed spirits to the bosom of eternal love and consolation, and from these ashes that forms shall arise which will bloom in immortal youth.

Blessed again, I say, be God for all the rich and everlasting blessings of the gospel.

As a warning to others, I should say that the fire which laid the dwelling, and one half of its inhabitants in ashes, is supposed to have been communicated from ashes put into a wooden box in a shed adjoining the house.

The Conference of the united brethren in Christ being held about a mile out of town, some of the preachers were invited to lodge with some of Mr. John Winebrener's people. One of the preachers spoke at his chapel in the evening, on Prov. xi. 30

18th. Simon Dresbach, who had a while desisted from travelling through ill health, took dinner with us at J. Winebrener's. After dinner we all three went to the Conference, which was held at a chapel, near a farmer's house. They travel two years on trial, then meet at the Conference, state their experience, and withdraw; then the brethren decide as to their continuing to travel.

In the evening another of the preachers preached in friend W's chapel.

19th. I prepared to return to Bethany to my family, having then been from home much longer than I intended when I left them. When this was known, several friends desired me to stay longer, with kind offers to indemnify me against losing any thing by it. Friend Wearnestly desired me to tarry until a meeting of preachers, that was about to take place between him and some others of his acquaintances, to advise how to carry on to better effect the good work in which they were engaged And in the

mean time he intended to go into Maryland to see his father, and wanted one to supply Harrisburg All these things concurring put me into a straight, not knowing on which hand to turn. At Bethany I had a family, and a society which perhaps was not well supplied. In Harrisburg and round about, I had many kind friends with whom I had contracted a near intimacy, and among whom I found the divine presence and blessing. In this case, I went to a throne of grace imploring direction from above; and was convinced that I ought to stay.

In the evening another of the brethren from the Con

ference spoke at J. W's chapel, on Phil. i. 21. Another of their preachers spoke after him. How well would it be if in every place, professors had a single eye to the glory of God, laying aside, I of Paul, 1 of Apollos, &c. only living to, and labouring for Christ.

20th. J. W and I consulted together, and concluded on my visiting the following places while he was away, and supplying Harrisburg also, which to me appeared not impossible, being desirous to see some of them once more before I returned. Middletown, Elizabethtown, Mountjoy, Hecks, Mechanicsburg, School-house near Longerneckers, and Lisburn. After the arrangement, I returned to one of the friends' houses where I had lodged, (for I was invited about and had lodged at several houses,) and wrote a letter to my wife. While writing, the master of the house came into the room, and on finding I was writing to my wife, went quickly out to the bank and brought a bill and laid before me, to make a double letter of it instead of a single one.

In the evening many of the friends met for prayer and praise; it was a soul refreshing time; a female prayed much in the Spirit

21st. Went to Middletown, passing by a farm 1 observed the family burying ground inclosed with rails, in the midst of the dungyard by the way side. It appeared more strange than to see one in the middle of a field, as I had seen in Long Island. Had there not been grave stones, I should have rather taken it for a hog-pen or sheep-pen.

I passed by a kiln where a man was burning lime. He informed me they burnt one kiln in four days, and two men attended it day and night. The wood is put under it as a person would boil a pot.

Farmers were at work on each side of the road, ploughing for the planting of Indian corn. They plough, harrow, and till, without any previous preparation, ot manure: in this way the labour is but little. The crop I understand is from 60 to 100 bushels an acre, 8 gallons to the bushel.

1 put up at a shop-keeper's called Joseph Ross, where I was received with much kindness. In the evening spoke on John iii. 16.