and if their stomachs ever feel disor- and consequently it is deprived of dered, it happens no more to tea- much of its fine flavour. drinkers than it would to those who indulge in the same immoderate quantity of any warm diluting fluid. Coffee is an infusion or decoction of that well known berry roasted and ground into a powder. "Effects of an equally alarming nature with tea have been attributed to this salutary beverage, and with equal plausibility and reason. It has been said to produce in some persons a long train of fashionable nervous diseases; while in others, disagreeable eruptions in the face, bleeding at the nose, spitting of blood, piles, hectic coughs, consumption, and death have follow ed its use, when long persevered in. How far coffee merits such a character, can perhaps be better determined by those who are in the frequent habit of drinking it. I can only say, that having continually used it in my family, I never discovered, as yet, any such effects; I therefore feel very little doubt but that they are as groundless and ridiculous as those which have been imputed to the article of foreign tea; and as it is now much more universally drunk than ever, from government having taken off the very large duty imposed on it, it is rather a matter of astonishment that we do not often hear of its producing such bad effects on the body as these gentlemen would have us believe. "As an article of food, coffee is a pleasant and refreshing beverage, and materially assists the concoction of other kinds of food. Mixed with a due proportion of milk and sugar, it sits easy on the stomach, and, properly prepared, forms a nutritious light breakfast. It is necessary however that it be drunk tolerably strong, in the proportion of an ounce of the powder to a pint of water, for if ever any ill consequences follow its use, like tea-drinking, they are caused by the quantity of hot water thrown into the stomach. The best mode of mak. ing it is by infusing it in a biggin, as by boiling, its more volatile and aromatic parts are considerably exhaled, "With respect to the medical virtues of coffee, it possesses a powerful antispasmodic as well as sedative quality, and is therefore taken with singular advantage by persons of an hypochondriacal or hysterical disposi tion. In distressing paroxysms of asthma, Sir J. Pringle recommends it as an admirable remedy to shorten the fit and relieve the oppressive respiration; but for this purpose he has directed it to be made uncommonly strong; and Sir J. Floyer, who laboured under the painful effects of this complaint for the last thirty years of his life has remarked in his writings, that he found more relief from a cup of strong coffee when the paroxysms were very severe, than any other remedy besides, and positively affirms, that it is the best abater of the periodical asthma of any thing he was ever acquainted with. Dr. Percival, and many other physicians of equal celebrity, were of the same opinion. As, however, in these cases much will depend on its strength, they direct that an ounce of Mocha coffee, recently roasted and ground, should be infused in a sufficient quantity of boiling water to make only one tea-cup full. "In tremors, or any of the distressing sensations commonly denominated nervous, or in head-aches or nausea from a debauch, or drinking too much wine or spirits, coffee is known to afford very considerable and speedy relief, and if taken after a hearty meal, or when the stomach is labouring under the effects of repletion, the digestion is much promoted by it, and its exhilarating effects on the animal spirits are too well attested by thousands to admit of a doubt. It is also very serviceable in languor from over exercise, and in all humid temperaments of body. When used in this point of view, of assisting digestion, it is taken with most advantage without milk, which tends to dilute its strength; but for a breakfast, a mixture of milk and sugar is most proper; it accommodates more agreeably to the palate, and helps to sheath or neutralize the empyreumatic oil contained in it, which, if too predominant, is heating, and will occasion flushing of the face and other uneasy sensations. same rate as in London, simply and solely on account of the exorbitant charges for Canal carriage. This says more for the necessity of RailRoads than volumes of argument. Bottom of a Well, Valentine's Day, 1825. TRUTH. POST-OFFICE-RAIL-ROADS -CANALS. SIR,-If I put a letter into the General Post-Office, Lombard Street, at seven o'clock in the evening, addressed to a friend at Bath, (108 miles from London) 'twill be delivered by nine o'clock the following morning; but if 1 were to put a letter into the TwoPenny-Post Box in Tottenham Court Road, at the same hour, for you at Camden Town, (half a mile distant) you would not receive it before the middle of the next day, Surely this system needs revision. In illustration of the improvements which it has undergone, take the following: The late Sir Wm. Pulteney, then an old man, in 1795, related that a banker in Edinburgh, (I think Ramsay was his name), informed him, be, remembered when the post came only three times a-week from London, and that one day it brought but one letter, which was for his banking house! About the year 1790, Sir William said, the letters received in Edinburgh, from London, averaged about twelve hundred a-day. As the first period, I mean the one letter-day period, probably was about the year 1735, this was a wonderful alteration in fifty or sixty years. A darksome marsh disperses now its va And yet, how blythely once it rose to Now a word on Canals and RailRoads. The opponents of the latter, pertinaciously insist that they are not needed, because the Canals are sufficient for the carriage of all goods that require conveyance, and their charges are as moderate as can be wished. A simple fact will shew what truth there is in these assertions. A crate of earthenware can be sent from Staffordshire across the Atlan-And hymn'd afar its woodland notes of tic, and sold in New York at the greet the arching sky, And blossom'd in its majesty when last The thrush, amid its branches, carrol❜d plenitude and ease. Another account states that the second, who was supposed to have been mortally wounded, was not in the least injured, but fell from a nervous contraction occasioned by the noise made in the discharge of the musket. sudden attack of the ague, he shot ty-six!-Besides these there were seone of the seconds. veral other relatives present, who had assembled to witness the interesting spectacle. They all sat down at the table, where it may emphatically be said, "harmony and good fellowship prevailed." In the afternoon, the Rev. Mr. Johnson, of Newburgh, one of the sons in law, preached to them a well adapted sermon, taking the 1st v. of the 133d Psalm for his text-Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." ("New-York Advertiser," 5, June, 1822.) DINNER-PARTY.- -"Brooklyn, Con. May 27-There dined at the house of Mr. Philemon Adams, of this town, on the 22d of March last, five generations, descendants of one family. The eldest, Mrs. Adams, was in her 92d year, the youngest one year and eleven months. The house in which they dined, stands upon land purchased by a Mr. Adams, whose family was the eighth that moved into the ancient town of Pomfret, and which has descended by linneal descent, from father to son, for 119 years." (Ibid.) ("Goshen Patriot," June 30, 1821.)' AMERICAN ARCHITECTS.------Ever since the erection of the Capitol at the city of Washington, there has been experienced an insuperable diffi culty in forming a room for the re presentatives in such a manner, that these faithful servants of the people can hear and understand what one another say. It was so with the Hall which they occupied previous to the PIGEONS WHOLESALE.- "Troy, sacking of the city, and the destruc May 28 LIVE STOCK ON DECK,- tion of the public buildings, by the A few days since we observed a Sloop British forces in the late war. Their at one of the lower docks in this city, room at that time was large and ele completing her cargo, by taking in a gant, very superb in its ornaments, deck load of LIVE PIGEONS for the and striking in its general appearance New-York market. Three waggonsin short, it seemed to have every were on the dock delivering their loads on board, which, according to the information given us, must have consisted of between two and three hundred dozen. The sloop took board, probably, between ten or twelve hundred dozen before she sailed. The pigeons were taken near Waterford," (IBID.) on FAMILY VISIT.-On Tuesday last week, Mr. Daniel Bull, of the town of Montgomery, Orange county, invited all his children and their companions, together with his grand children, to pay him a friendly visit. His children numbered 12-ten of them being married, increased the number to 22-his grand children numbered 54-these being added, made the goodly number of of seven thing necessary for a legislative hall, except that which was most essentially important---the members could not hear each other. And so, it would seem, is the present---it is rich and elegant, and indeed somewhat magni, ficent; but still a great part of what is said, though delivered with all the graces of oratory, and in a style of patriotic ardour and vehemence, is thrown away and lost---the voice is broken and confused, the echo stammers, and the sounds of many a musical tongue, and the sentiments of many an eloquent and patriotic member, die on the ear, or are scattered into the nooks, corners and crevices of the spacious but ill contrived chamber, in fragments too small to be admired, or even understood. To prevert this mischief in part, it is now proposed to spread canvass over part of the room, in order to confine the sounds. his parish who had been an admirer of Whitfield, that 300 new lights had come over from England." 1. 2. This defect in the room is a great calamity, considering how much that is valuable is thus thrown away. Our government is an oratorical government, and every thing almost depends upon the exhibitions of oratory and eloquence by the members of the legislative department. They speak, not merely for the purpose of victory in argument, or the propagation of the principles of sound politics and the establishment of good and wholesome laws, but for the benefit 3 of the speakers, and the amusement In just such degrees, then, as the (Ibid.) THE SPHINX, No. 9. QUERIES. What three letters will spell Brandy? What word is that, the first two letters of which are a male; the first three a female; the first four a great man; and the whole, a great woman. If Dick's father is John's son, of their constituents. Matter uttered 1. What we adore, what we abjure, and from time to time is not heard, or not understood, are both the representative and the constituents disap pointed, and mortified. It seems strange that we have no architects in this country who have skill and science enough to contrive a legislative hall that shall answer the great and indispensible purposé of speaking and hearing. One would have supposed that before this time, the subject would have been as well understood, and reduced to as certain rules, as the form of a half bushel, or the figure of a coasting vessel. And yet, every experiment made at the seat of government hitherto, has failed. What can look more queerly than to see graves legislators encircled, and covered. instead of with solid walls and ceilings, by canvass. In one respect, however, the latter must be considered as particularly appropriate there will always be wind enough to fill it, and that of the most approved kind, for it will be of domestic manufac ture." ("New-York Daily Advertiser;" March 20, 1822.) LIGHT WIT. The town of Boston was first lighted with lamps about the year 1783-Three hundred lamps were imported from England, and gave occasion for a witticism by Mather Byles. He told an old lady of 2. 3. what we celebrate. My first is light, my second is light, and my whole is too often made light of. My first gaily sings, though in durance accurst, My second's a beautiful tree; Which no human laws can set free. What the single wish for, and the mar- What the earth produces, and the tomb supplies; Join these two together, then you'll find with ease A vexatious evil, not to say, disease, |