COMET.

Mr. BURDICK, I send you an article on the comet of 1811; and should like to have it preserved among your interesting memoranda. A Friend to Science.

Yrs,

In Sept. 1811, a comet made its appearance, which caused much speculation both in Europe and the U. S. of America. Many ignorant people thought it was intended to produce the day of judgment; others that it would strike against our system and instantly annihilate it, or approach so near as to burn it up; others were so frightened as to omit going to market; others made their wills; and many suddenly became quite religious, and several committed suicide. Nathaniel Bowditch, esq. (a scientific gentleman of celebrity) of Salem, (Massa. ) published the most correct accounts of this Comet, in the U. S. The following observations, by the direction of the Royal Observatery, in Munich, Germany, published Dec. 1, 1811, have been but partially known in the U. S. and are therefore inserted here. Mr. Seyfer says," by the late observations made it appears that the parabolical elements of the Comet will give the following results :-“ During the first days of December, the comet will run, daily, a distance of 306,800 German miles (of 15 miles to a degree) consequently, will go at the rate of 12,783 an hour, and 3 1-2 miles per second. The distance of the comet from the sun is this day (1st of December) 34,000,000 miles, and increases daily 240,000 miles; consequently 10,000 per hour, and 27-10 miles miles per second. The comet is on the 1st of December at the distance of upwards of 41,000,000 miles from the earth, that is to say, its distance from us is double to that of the sun in our main distance from that great luminary. The progressive distance of the comet from the earth, has a daily increase of 505,000 miles; every hour, 21,041, and of each second 5 4-5 miles. The comet will, during the month of December, run over a space of 7,150,000 miles. Its swiftness has therefore considerably lessened since its nearest approach to the sun. In the month of September it ran over fifteen millions of miles; in the month of October 13,000,000, and in November 10,000,000. Since the 12th of Oct. which was the time of its greatest brightness, it has lost 5-6ths of its light; and taking its greatest as an unit, that unit on the first day of December will be reduced to 2-200."

UNITED STATES ARMY APPROPRIATIONS—1814.
pay of army and militia,

$8,505,360

For

Forage to officers,

264,576 4,377,470

460,000

255,000

2,540,000

2,036,000

3,500,000

700,000

500,000

700,000

454,500

HISTORICAL FACTS.

MR. BURDICK, In placing the following collection in your "Register," all the objection to it that can possibly arise, in the opinion of any one, will be from its arrangement-but if TRUTH is not to be given, for fear of offending the prejudice of party, in the name of commou sense how are you to fill up your Chronological pages? or where is that Independence which as an historian's assistant (as well as the historian himself) should ever adhere to in the collection of interesting facts? It was a just remark of an ancient writer, that "We learn more from adversity than from prosperity."-Unfortunately many EXPRESSIONS have been made, and many EVEN гs have occurred, in respect to the U. S. war with G. B. which have wonderfully cont, adicted each otherbut which will, I trust, operate to make cur military men less SANGUINE in future, to their own as well as to the honor of the nation at large. The following are from official accounts :-

PROPHECY.

"We can take the Canadas without soldiers; we have only to send officers into the province, and the people,disaffected towards their own government, will rally round our standard."

Dr. Eustis, 1812.

"I come prepared for every contingency-I have a force which will look down all opposition, and that force is but the vanguard of a much greater."

Gen. Hull, July 12, 1812.

"In a few days, the troops under my command will plant the American standard in Canada." Gen. Smythe's Proclamation. Nvember 10, 1812.

"I could not have carried into the field more than 600 men, and left any adequate force in the fort."

Gen. Hull, August 26, 1812. "I informed the officers that the attempt to invade Canada would not be made until the army was reinforced; directed them to withdraw their troops, and cover them with huts immediately."

Gen. Smythe, to the Committee of the

Western Counties, Dec. 3, 1812, "The opinions and advice of every Colonel, and all the principal officers of the different regi

"Fellow soldiers-Your commander is about to cross the Niagara and enter upon that part of the enemy's country already con-ments and corps, were reasons

PROPHECY.

"I went myself to Buffalo, to provide for the safety of that place and Black Rock, which I trust is out of danger."

Gen. M'Clure, to the Public, Dec. 1813.

FULFILMENT.

"This frontier is wholly desolate the flourishing village of │Buffalo is laid in ruins. The Niagara frontier now lies open and naked to our enemies."

Gen. Hall's Letter to Governor
Tompkins, Dec. 30, 1813.

I wish only to add, that Burgoyne issued a bombastic thundering proclamation against the American "rebels," and a bully in the House of Commons swaggered that with 500 British soldiers he could march from N. Hampshire to Georgia, in spite of every opposition the dastardly colonies could make. Our Generals have followed Burgoyne's proclamation-mode of warfare; and several members of Congress have closely imitated the British bully; two of the members of the House of Representatives went even further-one offered to take it for a three weeks job; and the other only wanted to hang out a white handkerchief, to take the Canadas! Yrs. &c.

ATTORNIES IN BOSTON.

COUNSELLORS AT LAW.

C. R.

Rufus G. Amory, Daniel Davis, E. S. Livermore, Samuel Dexter, Joseph Hall, Dudley A. Tyng, Wm. Prescott, Harrison G. Otis, Artemas Ward, Benj. Whitman, George Blake, John Phillips, Benjamin Parsons, Benj. Whitwell, John Callender, Joseph Rowe, William Sullivan, John Williams, Wm. Thurston, John Heard, Edward Jackson, Charles Davis, Peter O.Thacher, Chas. P. Sumner, Thos. O. Selfridge, Benja. Gorham, James Allen, Wm. H. Sumner, Warren Dutton, John Knapp, Israel Munroe, Samuel D. Parker, Benj. Welles, Thomas Welsh, William Austin, Timothy Fuller,Lemuel Shaw, An. Ritchie, jr. Alex'r. Townsend, Eben'r. Rockwood, James T. Austin, William Minot, James Savage, Samuel Hubbard, John H. Crane, Joseph E. Smith, Asa Peabody, Saml. F. M'Clary, Saml. K. Williams, Wm. C. Aylwin, Wm. P. Whiting, Heary D. Sedgwick, George Sullivan, Benj. Guild, D. S. Greenough, John Fairbanks, John Stickney, Francis Carnes, John W. Hayward, Jes. Harrington, Daniel B. Ripley, Henry Cabot, John Stuart, Thomson Miller, Thos. J. Eckley, Samuel Livermore, Eben. F. Thayer, Wm. Simmons, Wm. D. Sohier.

ATTORNIES AT THE SUPREME COURT.

Phineas Blair, Josiah P. Cooke, Charles Heard, James Day, Z. G. Whitman, Nathan Hale, John Gallison.

ATTORNIES AT THE COMMON PLEAS.

Wm. S. Shaw, Stephen Bean, Geo. W. Boyle, Wm. A. Fales, Isaac F. Coffin, Henry Newman, jr. Henry Codman, Elijah Morse, James C. Merril, Thomas Rice, jr. Amasa Fisk, Edw. T. Channing, Samuel E, Smith, Saml. Dexter, jr. Benjamin Read, Abr.W. Fuller, Abr. Wild, jr. Octavius Pickering, Horatio Biglow, Henry B. Smith, Henry Orne, Samuel D. Ward, Alex. H. Everett, George Jeffrey, Samuel B. Barrell, Moses Draper, Thomas A. Dexter, Samuel Fisher, jr. Francis Basset, Francis W. Waldo, William C. Hunt, George Ticknor, William Gale, Andrew O. Waterhouse.

Government.

Date of form of

Delaware,

1776 do.

1787 federal electors,