wilderness, whose immense forests and extensive meadows were inhabited by the brutal creation, excepting here and there, a straggling tribe of Indians, scarcely less brutal, now receiving numerous emigrants, civilized, intelligent, and enterprizing. The Illinois territory has been received into the Union as a State this year, making the 21st state. The Alabama and Missouri will be added next year, and probably some more. St. Louis from this, I suppose, may be 16 or 1700 miles, most of it by water, yet such a voyage is undertaken with alacrity by farmers who never knew how to trim a boat in their life. There are two Irish families who intend to set out at the beginning of April. 31st Jan. I have been this morning to see a letter from John Spalding, lately from the Sneddon, with a large family. He is now settled on a farm in the State of Pennsylvania, 150 acres for two dollars an acre, one half in hand, and the other half in two equal annual payments. A small part cleared with a loghouse upon it. Its name is Fruitful, Hopewell Township, Beaver county, about twenty-two miles from Pittsburg, south side of the river Ohio, seven miles from Beaver, and two from the river below Pittsburg. He says he chose it for the healthiness of its situation. The land pretty high, well wooded, chiefly oak, hickory, white ash, dogwood, some ironwood, &c. The country all round very well watered, scarcely a farm but has a running stream. His has a large stream running right through the middle-several fine springs and abundance of limestone. Produce will sell at any time for cash in Pittsburg, and you may buy any thing there that can be got in the United States. When he set out, he had purchased a horse and waggon, coast in all about 80 dollars; travelled from nine to twenty miles a-day, breakfasted in the morn-, ing before setting out, stopt about an hour before sun down, hired a room in the tavern for 12 or 18 cents, had the use of the kitchen-fire to cook; completed the journey in nineteen days, including some resting days-cost in all from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, within forty dollars, including provisions, horse feed, tolls, driak, &c. &c. He could have sold his waggon at Pittsburg for forty dollars, but he needs it on the farm. His family with him, count from eight to ten. It gives me some pleasure to furnish this rough but compressed sketch of John Spalding's progress in the wilderness, not only because I contemplate such a patriarchal jaunt for myself and family, but because I know it will be read with great interest by you, and all who knew and respected him in Paisley. He has left one married son in Holmsburg, twenty miles from this, who will likely follow him this sum mer. We had yesterday a printed proposal of settling upon lands, on the head of the Susquehanna river. A society calling themselves, The British Emigrant Society in Philadelphia, propose contracting with the proprietor for 40,000 acres of land, and want settlers to go along with them in the purchase. The terms are four dollars, ten annual instalments, with interest thereon, or 3 dollars, five annual instalments and interest. It is 170 miles from Philadelphia, and 150 from New York, and has water carriage alt the way to Baltimore, by the Susquehanna, and will have to Philadelphia, when the junction of Skuylkil and Susquehanna is completed. Anecdote of Sir John Barnard. Sir Robert Walpole was more than once heard to say, that Sir John Barnard, a plain citizen of London,. an honest man, and one of the representatives for that city, during six parliaments, was the only member whom he found it difficult to answer or refute. "There is," said that able minister, "so much evident integrity in all he says, that the preponderancy of good design makes up for any defect in argument, and wins the hearts of all parties." During the time that the subject of the present article was first magistrate of the metropolis, a little employment in his disposal became vacant, and many candidates applied, for whom strong interest was made. At a court of aldermen, held soon after, a poor friendless freeman presented a petition for the place in question; to which the lord mayor appointed him, without asking one question, or receiving a single recommendation in his favour. The old man, ⚫ unable to utter a word, retired with tears in his eyes, and a heart throbbing with gratitude. Sir John being asked by one of his associates, what superior merits the successful candidate possessed, replied in the following words: "I guessed that my manner of proceeding would excite your attention and surprise; yet, after an explanation, I am inclined to think, that you will not only approve of what I have done, but that, placed in my circumstances, you would have acted precisely in the same manner. "I never spoke to the person whom I have appointed, and am as entirely a stranger to his situation, and the circumstances of his life, as any gentleman pre sent." The curiosity of the aldermen naturally increased. "But in my way to Clapham Common, which, as many of you know, I have visited for a little fresh air and undisturbed repose, for these last eight-and-twenty years, my notice has been attracted by the sedentary diligence and unremitting attendance of the man to whom I have given the place; which I wish was better worth his acceptance. "It was at a little watchmaker's shop,” continued Sir John, "on London bridge (in those days a street crowded with houses), that he first caught my eye; and during the whole period I have specified, at my going out of town in the afternoon, and at my return in the moruing, he never was absent from his post and employment a single day. "I know nothing, as I have before observed, of the state of his finances; but the appearance of his coat, and his grey locks, indicate that he is not very young, nor very wealthy; and he, who for so many years has been so ineffectually diligent-he who has toiled so long, without securing a comfortable competency for declining life, has, in my opinion, a preferable claim, a demand which ought not to be resisted, on the generosity, as well as justice, of a commercial "city like ours." The worthy citizens not only agreed in opinion With 'their chief magistrate; but, uniting their contributions, made a handsome purse, which Sir John was requested to present, in their name, to the man whom he had so laudably patronized. Subsequent inquiry fully justified the step which had been taken in favour of the veteran mechanic. It was a case of genuine distress, beyond the possibility of imposture. An intelligent Finger-post. A gentleman, returning from hunting a few days ago, between Ougar and Epping, seeing a poor boy gathering sticks in a field, accosted him with "Hallo, Jack, which is the way to Epping?" The boy, whose name happened to be John, turning round, asked the gentleman how he knew his name was Jack? The gentleman's reply was, he guessed at it. "Oh, very well," returned the boy, "then guess your way to Epping." BURNS THE POET. The following verses in the hand-writing of Burns, are copied from a bank note, in the possession of Mr. James F Gracie, of Dumfries: The note is of the bank of Scotland, and is dated so far back as the first of March 1780. WAE worth thy power, thou cursed leaf! Fell source of all my woe and grief! For lack o' thee I leave this much-lov'd shore, R The Hen-pecked Dandy. B--, Kyle, The Demon of Fashion Sir Fopling bewitches- For as she is resolved upon wearing the breeches, ་་་་་་་་ On hearing of a Gentleman's pocket being picked of his, Walch. Original Poetry. On reading proposals for a subscription to erect a Monument to the memory of ་":;: SIR WILLIAM WALLACE... Let monuments rise and o'er-look the wide plain, 'Tis not the proud Pompeian pillar of art, That adorns the Egyptian coast; "Tis the deeds-'tis the worth of the old Roman heart, Let pyramids strike the lone traveller's eye,pal دور But what is he more than those nameless that lie |